Dagger of Anubis
by Gweniveve Skyes
Summary: The Ishtars and Seto Kaiba learn that some secrets are buried under the shifting sands and the ones that should, never do... SetoX reincarnated Kisara. Egyptian Mythology infused within
1. Prologue

Dagger of Anubis

** Hello and welcome to my latest fic, 'Dagger of Anubis'. As the title says, this will have a lot of Egyptian mythology incorporated into the story. Some of the Egyptian gods will be slightly different in personality and sphere of power, the most controversial one of these will be Set, supposedly the god of evil; however, I write him as the god of change, which will be seen throughout the fic. For more information, please PM me, I will be more than happy to explain this.**

** And without further ado, here is 'Dagger of Anubis':**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise. I'm just borrowing them, but if I break them, can I but them? No? Fine, alright.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_The chamber glowed with a warm light as torches flickered along the wall, the gold and precious gems embedded into the sandstone shimmering. Lord Anubis sat in his throne, the dark jackal eyes glazed over as he was deep in thought. Despite the warm temperatures, he wore his black cotton hooded cape, the voluminous hood casting the Lord of the Dead's face in shadow. His Dagger, his most prized and dangerous possession laid across his lap, his hand gripping the hilt lightly. His demeanor suggested one of languidness and a laziness; however, he was tense, ready to leap at a moment's notice._

_ "Well well well, I should have expected you here," Set, the Egyptian god of perceived evil, chided. He was tall, with a head of some long extinct creature, with a long snout and squared ears. He was dressed in bronze armor, stained with blood. A khopesh was lightly bound in its sheath._

_ "Nice to see you too dear Uncle," Anubis retorted, the words 'dear Uncle' said with distaste. "I expected you to be slaughtering some poor innocent mortal."_

_ "A high priest of Apophis isn't exactly 'innocent', my nephew." Set chuckled. "Though I do have to admit, I did enjoy ripping the fool's head off."_

_ "Then I suspect I'll be weighing his heart soon then?"_

_ "You'll be seeing plenty of them. Ammit will be satisfied tonight." Ammit, who had been dozing at Anubis's throne,sleepily looked up and gave a growl, anticipating the feast that was to come ahead._

_ Anubis leaned back in his throne, resting his jackal head in his hand. "As nice as it is to be getting a visit from my uncle, I have a feeling you didn't come by here just to tell me your war stories."_

_ Set's face grew grave. "That is true, Anubis. We,... are losing?"_

_ Anubis jolted upright. "Losing? How can we be losing?"_

_ "Apophis has aligned himself with some foreign goddess named Tiamat. Their combined strength is overwhelming us. Their priests are even overpowering the priests of Ra."_

_ "And what do you suggest we should do then? I'm here to protect the magic of the afterlife from falling into their greedy paws-"_

_ "Including your Dagger?"_

_ Anubis glanced down at the dagger. It was made of a slivery substance, something that hadn't been seen by the mortals he looked over; the hilt was of bronze. It was about two feet long from pommel to tip. Hieroglyphics were engraved into the blade, reciting an ancient spell known only to the god himself. The lapis lazuli pommel glittered in the torchlight. "What about it?"_

_ "It's the most valuable thing here. They'll be clamoring for it."_

_ "Like I said, what do you want me to do about it?"_

_ "We need to hide it."_

_ "Hiding this from a pair of gods?" Anubis let out a bark of laughter. "You must have been hit on the head one too many times."_

_ "I'm being serious nephew. If we hide it, we may stand a chance of winning this?"_

_ "And where do you suggest we hide it?"_

_ "Not where, who."_

_ "Explain."_

_ "We give it to the Pharaoh-Priest Seth. He is, after all, your high priest."_

_ "When he was a member of the Millennium Court, yes. Besides, it would be too risky."_

_ "It's the only one we got." Set paused. "Osiris has called me, they prepare to make one final push."_

_ "So Father is bossing you around now? How the mighty have fallen."_

_ "While I do not like the notion of being pushed around by my brother, the notion of protecting my skin appeals to me more." As Set began to leave the chamber, he looked back over his shoulder. "You have your choice nephew." The dark god was gone, leaving Anubis with only his thoughts and the Dagger._

_ Anubis studied the dagger, weighing his options. When he made his decision, he got up and left the chamber, the black fluttering behind him._

_XXXXXXXXXX_

_ The following evening, Pharaoh Seth made an interesting discovery. Lying next to his bed was the Dagger of Anubis, with an instruction of holding onto it. Seth obeyed his god, deciding that disobeying would be a very poor choice. He kept it with him until he passed away, commanding that the Dagger be kept with him in order to keep it from falling into the wrong hands._

_ Then on a moonless night, the tomb of Seth was broken into, and the Dagger, perhaps the most dangerous artifact in Egypt, was gone._

_ But five thousand years later, when the world was rocked by the resurgence of the Millennium Items, one other item made it's way to the world of mortals-_

_ -Where it waits for its true owner._

_XXXXXXXXXX_

** Yes, I made Seth a high Priest of Anubis. I see The Millennium Rod as a item of judgment, especially the way he used it back in the Millennium World Arc, then sadly corrupted by a angsty teenager who blames a five thousand year old DEAD Pharaoh!... oh sorry done now, very much so like Anubis, who is the god of judging the dead (like with Set, I see Anubis as the true god of the dead; in my eyes Osiris is the god of the afterlife).**

** Another thing to note is the familial connection of Set to Anubis. In some versions of mythology, Anubis's is Set's son, in others, he is his nephew, sired by Osiris—and thus the origin of Set's feud with Osiris. For this, I made him Set's nephew.**

** The last thing is Seth's name. On the Wikipedia page for Set, in the pop culture section, it says that Seth is named for the god, which makes sense considering that many Pharaohs were named after gods (Atem is a variant of Atum/Amun, the god of creation). I made the connection that his father, who was a raving lunatic, named him after the god of 'evil', and of course, you guys are smart enough to make the connection there.**

**Sooo, like it? Hate it? Loathe it? Drop a line and tell me! If you do, I'll give you cyber cookies lol**

**PS: Ignore the Marik rant up there. I like the guy, don't get me wrong XD.**


	2. Chapter 1: Blood Soaked Rain

Chapter one: Blood-Soaked Rain

Ishizu Ishtar, curator of the ancient history section of Domino Museum, was working late, reading ancient papyrus scrolls, working on a journal article about the evolution of the Book of the Dead. Her blue eyes poured over the delicate scrolls as she jotted down notes in a spiral notebook. It was tedious, but worth the time.

Shortly after Atem's return to the afterlife, she had been given the offer to work at the museum, which she gladly accepted. Soon after, Marik, Odion and she made the move to Domino, living in a spacious apartment, thanks to her paycheck. The clock chimed at eight o'clock, startling her. The skies outside the office window were dark, rain beginning to patter on the pane.

"I better get home soon," She said to no one, gathering her things and shutting of the lamp on her desk. "Before Mairk decides to have macaroni and cheese for dinner again. Or leftovers. I really wish he would learn to cook. She locked up the office and made her way out of the museum, passing by the Pharaoh's stele. Instinctively, her hand went to the hollow of her throat, where the Millennium Necklace used to lay, but it was now lying under a pile of rubble, where she hoped it would stay until the end of time and then some.

She still had snippets of visions though, a side effect of the long term use of the Necklace. She suspected they were just memories resurfacing, but some days, she wasn't quite sure. She shivered ever so slightly as she stepped outside, quickly regretting the she didn't bring an umbrella with her this morning. "The rain isn't too bad though, I should be okay until the bus stop." Ishizu enjoyed the rain, it was a foreign concept to her for the longest time while living underground in Egypt. Now, whenever it rained, she had to restrain herself from acting like a kid again. Of course, she never had the opportunity to act like a child; she grew up too fast to enjoy the simple pleasures.

She still had the hood of her hoodie though, so she used that instead. As she neared the bus stop however, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She didn't need the Necklace to tell something ominous was in the air. The rainy night had a sinister feel to it, one that Ishizu had no intention of staying in.

Something heavy clamped over her mouth suddenly, and started dragging her over to the nearby alleyway. She tried to scream and kick, but the object was much to strong for her. Ishizu squirmed, trying to break free. It was a man, with the strong scent of whiskey and musk on him. She managed to hit him, jabbing him in the groin with her elbow. His grip loosened and she got herself away, but he grabbed her by the ankle, causing her to crash on the pavement. She then felt a a sharp pain in her side as her kicked her in the ribs; she heard one or two of them crack.

"Where is the Dagger, Ishtar?" He lifted her up by her throat, squeezing ever so slowly on her windpipe. "Where is it!" he hissed.

She struggled to breathe, the edges of her vision going black. "What... dagger?"

"Don't play games with me you miserable..." He threw her to the ground and kicked her again. He then knelt next to her and drew out a small knife, running it along the underside of her jaw. "You and both know what I'm talking about, so let's make it easy on both of us. Tell. Me. Where. It. Is."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she wheezed; it was painful for her to talk. "What dagger?"

He growled and knocked her head into the pavement. He prepared to stab her in the neck with the knife, but thought better of it; the last thing he wanted was to kill his only lead. As he stood back up, he saw that the Millennium Necklace, an item ha was familiar with, was gone, replaced by a simple Wadjet Eye necklace. She wasn't lying after all.

"Very well then, Ms. Ishtar. You may not be lying now, but the next time I see you, I can promise you won't be lying then." He strode away from her, leaving her broken and battered in the rain.

It wasn't until nearly twenty minutes later that she managed to drag herself out of the alleyway and reach her phone in her purse, which had been tossed aside during the scuffle. She called 911 and collapsed, unconscious.

** Oh no! Ishizu was beat up! (Ishizu fans please don't kill me! XD)**


	3. Chapter 2: Nightmare For Two

Chapter 2: Nightmares for Two

Ishizu felt like she was falling. It was a nice feeling, tempting to become lost in. She didn't remember much after she called 911, except that her head and her side felt like fire. Then she found herself somewhere she thought she would have never return to...

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Marik glared at the frying pan, his lavender eyes practically boring holes into the metal. Despite his sister's comments about him not cooking, Marik did actually cook, she was just never around to see the results of his cooking, which usually consisted of him and Odion disposing the remains of his cooking very far away, normally in a dumpster. The recipe was supposed to be simple really, but as of right now, the kitchen looked like a disaster zone. Apparently something was lost in translation from the cookbook to the pan. Maybe if he just simply cooked the cookbook, it might taste better.

The phone in the kitchen rang, distracting Marik from his mental rant. Odion wasn't going to get the phone anytime soon, he was in his room resting after a long day. He picked it up and answered.

"Ishtar residence, Marik speaking."

"Hello, this is the North Domino Hospital, Dr. Rowley." A woman's voice spoke.

Marik's heart leapt to his throat. Hospital calls were never a good thing. "Yes?" he asked, fearing the worst.

"Your sister Ishizu Ishtar was admitted to the hospital earlier with injuries consisting of an assault..."

"Will she be alright? Please tell me she'll be okay!" In the corner of his eye, Marik saw Odion enter the room. Evidently, his panicked voice woke the older man.

"Well, she has four broken ribs, one of which punctured an important blood vessel, a mild concussion and a cut to her forehead. In addition, she also has a severely bruised windpipe. She is a strong woman though and I expect she'll make a full recovery."

"What happened? Did she get in an accident? Was she mugged? Did someone beat her up?-"

"Unfortunately Mr. Ishtar, I do not know specifically what happened to cause these injuries-"

"Well, can we go see her?" Deep in the dark recesses of his mind, Marik wished he had control of the shadows once more to punish those who harmed his sister.

He could hear the doctor sigh on the other end of the phone, somewhat exasperated with the barrage of questions, but she gained her calm. "Yes, Mr. Ishtar, you may visit her. She is unconscious though, so she won't be able to speak, nor I suspect for a while. Her windpipe had some damage, including the hyoid bone, I'm surprised she didn't suffocate because of it."

"Thank you Dr. Rowley," Marik then hung up on her, eager to visit Ishizu. Odion looked worried.

"Did something happen Marik?" Odion asked; the Ishtars had long broken him of the habit of calling them 'Master' or 'Mistress'.

Marik nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. Even though they said she would be okay, he was still worried; her and Odion were his only real family left. "Ishizu is in the hospital." Odion blanched, his skin pale under the facial tattoos.

Marik stormed into the foyer and tossed Odion the spare motorcycle helmet he kept before grabbing his own. "We're going to visit her." Odion deftly caught the helmet and followed.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_Seto Kaiba found himself staring at a stone wall, unsure of how he arrived there. He was in a room, something akin to the tombs found in Egypt. The wall was covered in hieroglyphics, the stone pictures in neat rows. Just like the writing on 'The Winged Dragon of Ra' card, he could read them as plainly as he could his native language. The words and phrases were meaningless to him, though one phrase stood out to him. Seto read it out loud:_

"_The One who could once See, but no longer can,_

_The girl with the White Dragon within,_

_And the Pharaoh once lost, now found,_

_Are the Key to finding the Dagger,_

_And the power to sever the Soul from all."_

_ "I didn't expect to find you here Seto Kaiba," Seto turned to find Ishizu Ishtar standing next to him, hands folded neatly behind her back, her blue eyes staring into his._

_ " I didn't expect to find you here either. So what, you couldn't convince me of that destiny crap in real life, so now you're invading my dreams too? That's just freaking fantastic." Seto sneered._

_ "What makes you think this is a dream Kaiba?"_

_ "I don't know, maybe it's due to the fact that I'm asleep right now."_

_ Ishizu let out a soft laugh. "Very well then, it must mean that I'm asleep too then, huh? But truth be told, I'm actually in a hospital bed, recovering from an attack."_

_ Seto paused. Yes, this had to be a dream, most definitely a insane, yet highly realistic dream. He shook his head, trying to find a way to wake himself up, but he couldn't._

_ Then the room shook, knocking the to to their knees. The ceiling burst open, showering dust and debris down on their heads. Above them were two dragons, their eyes full of malice._

_ One was a serpentine dragon, with no limbs and scales the color of storm clouds at midnight. Ivory horns of varying sizes sprouted from around its head, a macabre crown. White teeth dripped with blood as it hissed its challenge towards the night sky. The forked tongue slipped in and out of the creature's serpent shaped head, tasting the air. The thick muscles roiled and churned as the massive length of the behemoth curled around the shattered tomb._

_ The other one was even more fearsome. Unlike the other dragon, this one was limbed, its silvery claws like an eagle's talons. Thick black scales covered its body from head to the tip of its spiked tail. It writhed with anticipation as it peered downward at Seto Kaiba, its nostrils flaring. The dragon's expansive wings blotted out the sky, but the membranes were the same hue was the sky, so it was difficult to discern where the sky began and the wing membranes. Her golden slit-pupil eyes (it was most assuredly a female, but how Seto could tell, he didn't know) studied the two of them._

_ The two dragons roared and lunged, all the while a question kept ringing in his head: _

_ "Where is the Dagger, mighty Seto? Where is the Dagger?-"_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Seto Kaiba jolted upright from his bed, a sheen of sweat on his chest, his slender fingers clenching the Egyptian cotton sheets. His cobalt blue eyes glanced around in his room as he tried to reassure himself it was a dream, nothing more, nothing less.

Yet it had been the most vivid one he had so far. Ever since the Pharaoh left for the Afterlife, Seto had been having unusual dreams. They were simple at first, a bird's eye view of ancient Egypt, like he was a god surveying his people. But as time passed, they grew more realistic, with this one being the most realistic andfrightening of all. This was also the first one in which he was actually a oart of the dream, no longer a simple watcher. Ishizu appearing in the dream didn't exactly help either.

Groaning, he dragged himself out of the warm bed and into the bathroom, searching for some Ambiem. He glanced at himself at the bathroom mirror as he did so. He looked worn down, his normally fair skin looking pale and sickly. Dark bags were under his eyes, highlighting the bright blue hues of his eyes even more.

"I look like crap," he muttered as he popped two pills into his mouth. He then dragged himself to bed, hoping that the pharmaceuticals would make the dreams go away. However, while the dreams might go away, the question wouldn't as he pulled the sheets over his head.

_"Where is the Dagger Seto? Where is the Dagger?"_

**_PS:_ The hyoid bone is a bone that is located in the throat. When broken, it is a telling sign of suffocation (oftentimes, the people on 'CSI' will check there to find cause of death). The fact that there was some damage to the bone indicates the assault was pretty severe. Poor Ishizu, but I feel just as bad for Kaiba...**

**PPS: And the writing on the wall doesn't have to rhyme lol. It probably rhymed when it was in ancient Egyptian, but it got lost in translation :)**


	4. Chapter 3: Realization

Chapter 3: Realization

**So before I start this chapter, I just wanted to send a HUGE HUG to those who have already reviewed this fic so far! Your guidance and praises make my day! So a huge thanks to Nightmare Troubador, talkstoangels77, seira-g, scrambled-eggs-at-midnight, and se-tar. You guys =EPIC XD.**

** K, now that's over with (jk) let's tell the story, shall we?**

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ishizu's eyes fluttered open as she woke, her head and side in a large amount of pain. The room she was in was white and the chemical smell of sterilization was in the air. As she made to move her arm, she realized that there was a needle in the crook of her arm, pumping medication into her system, though in her opinion it wasn't doing much.

_"It appears I'm in a hospital," _ she thought. She winced as a stabbing pain went up her side again.

She leaned back against the hospital bed and closed her eyes, trying to make sense of the attack. The man didn't ask for money, or try to rape her, he only demanded to know where a 'dagger' was. It was unusual to say the least, but then again, she was used to the unusual.

_"But why this 'dagger', and of what importance is it to him?" _The man had placed an almost reverent emphasis on the word 'dagger', something she didn't pick up on until now, now that she thought about it. _"And why me? Why didn't he attack someone else? Evidently I'm of some importance to this man, so important to him that he didn't just kill me when I didn't know of it. He must think that I do, but I have no idea what this dagger even is."_

The dream sequence didn't exactly answer her questions. The tomb, Seto Kaiba, it was too real to be just a simple dream. _"Over time, I must have internalized some of the abilities of my Millennium Necklace, which would explain the other snippets of visions I've had since the Sealing of the Items. If only I could make sense of it all..." _she wished. All her life she had the answers, thanks to her Necklace. Now, she had none, and more questions were piling on by the minute.

Her cell phone, which had been placed by her bedside, began to buzz on the small table. She flipped it open and answered it.

"Ishizu, I was beginning to worry about you not answering my call," A voice, with a small hint of an English accent, kidded.

"Ah, Professor Alan Knighton, how are you?" While her voice was still somewhat scratchy and somewhat weak, Ishizu was willing to talk to the man.

"Actually, it's Doctor Alan Knighton now," he said. "I finally got that degree. Are you feeling alright Ishizu? You sound a little scratchy."

"Just a slight cold." she lied; she didn't want to alarm her friend.

"Well, good thing you can't spread that stuff around by telephone. But Ishizu, I have some delightful news!"

"What is it Alan?"

"I believe we have found the first clue to locating the tomb of one of the Lost Pharaohs! The Priest King Seth!"

"Alan, that is wonderful news! What did you find?"

"A temple complex dedicated to Anubis, or at least, I think it is, but anyway, its located near the Valley of the Kings so I'm making the educated guess that his tomb would be nearby the temple of his patron god. I remember reading from some papyrus scrolls that after the death of his nameless cousin and having the role of the Pharaoh thrust upon him, he became more and more dedicated to his god, even abandoning some of his Pharaonic duties. Apparently serving the god of the dead gave him comfort, as ironic as that sounds. Plus, the carbon dating places the complex around the time of the Sixteenth Dynasty, the time period that we assume Seth and the other Lost Pharaohs were."

"That is incredible." In Ishizu's mind, this had to be a coincidence, the discovery of the complex and possibly Seth's tomb, her and Seto's dream, the attack, all of these were somehow connected, like strands on a spiderweb, the problem was, she could only see parts of the strands at a time, not as a whole.

"I hope to see you at the site here soon. Maybe it'll help you with the paper you're working on, the one on the Book of the Dead. After all, that book was essentially a how-to book for the priests of Anubis. I'm betting that Seth must have had a beautifully made copy of it."

"As far as we know," Ishizu chuckled, which turned into a coughing fit. "I have to go now, Alan. I hope to see you soon." she hung up on him and placed the cell back to its original place. _"This isn't just a coincidence. Something big is going to happen, and it seems that Seto Kaiba and I are caught in the middle of it all. How, I do not know."_

"Ishizu! Thank goodness you're okay!" Marik burst into the room, Odion entering behind him at a more sedate pace, unlike his 'brother'. "How are you feeling? Do you hurt? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine Marik. I promise, though it seems that the hospital has left me a pudding cup while I was unconscious, in case I was hungry when I woke up. Could you hand it to me?"

Marik passed the cup of pudding over, along with the spoon next to it. He then giggled.

"What's so funny Marik?"

"The sight of you eating a pudding cup."

Ishizu flashed a faint smile, but the thoughts came back and she grew somber once more. "Marik, I need you to do something important for me-"

XXXXXXXXXX

Seto frowned as he worked on his laptop in the middle of the night. He was unable to fall asleep after taking the Ambiem, so he did the next best thing.

Work.

He was currently in the middle of developing a game system based on his virtual world. Unfortunately though, despite the popularity of KaibaCorp, he was unable to find a suitable developer to work with in order to publish the game, thus the source of his frustration. There was a knock on the door to his office. "Come in," he said, under the assumption that it was his younger brother, Mokuba. He was tragically wrong.

"You know Kaiba, you really need to have better security," Marik smirked. His hair was tousled and his motorcycle helmet was in the crook of his arm. "I mean seriously, I just waltzed right in here. Nice office by the way."

Kaiba stared for a moment, trying to see if it was an hallucination induced by sleep deprivation. It wasn't. "What do you want Marik?" He growled. He was tempted to reach for the can of mace he kept in the drawer of his deck, used for keeping intruders and overly-excited fangirls away.

"I, or more specifically, we, need your help."

"Who is this we? And why the heck are you bugging me at this hour? Can't this wait until morning?" Great, now he had a headache too. _"Just peachy."_

"Ishizu does. She thinks that something big is going to happen, one that will rock the foundations of the world."

"That's what she said when you were a mastermind criminal."

Marik growled at him. "This isn't funny Kaiba. She in the hospital right now, but then again, you already know that huh?"

The knuckles of Seto's hand whitened as he gripped the desk. How could she have known about the dream? Was she really there?

Marik then paused for grand affect. "She knows about your dream Kaiba."

Kaiba shook off the feeling that settled in the pit of his stomach. That last thing he needed was to show weakness. "Fine. What exactly does she need my help with?"

"In two weeks, she and I will be making an expedition to Egypt to help with the uncovering of a temple complex dedicated to Anubis, and possibly, the tomb of your previous life, Pharaoh Seth. She thinks that if you were there as well, it could help uncover the mystery."

"And why should I help her? What will I get in return?"

"She promises to never bug you about the so called 'destiny crap' ever again. _Of course, what she won't tell you is that by the time this is all said and done, you'll be an even stronger believer than Yugi Muto."_ Marik thought, an imperceptible smile of triumph on his face. " And nor will she or I compete in any of your tournaments."

"I could care less about the tournament thing, but the promise about no longer bugging me, I might just have to think about it."

Marik shrugged. "Fine." He saw a pill bottle on the desk. "But I can tell you right now, taking those pills won't make the dreams go away. They'll still come, no matter how many of those things you take." Marik started to leave to office, but then looked back over his shoulder. "And by the way, about

those dragons in your dream, Ishizu thinks they were Apophis and Tiamat, the Egyptian and Babylonian gods of chaos and destruction." He left the room, leaving Kaiba alone with Ishizu's proposition.

_XXXXXXXXXXXX_

** So the stuff about Seth was semi-bull. After doing some research, I discovered a period of time in ancient Egypt where the identities of FIVE Pharaohs were missing, in the time of the Sixteenth Dynasty, a dynasty that preceded the great Pharaohs like Seti I and Ramses the Great.**

** In the 1800's, there was a papyrus scroll discovered that had the lists of all the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt's history. It is known as the Turin King list or the Turin Royal Canon. However, during the early handling of the papyrus scroll, it was severely damaged, leaving only about 50% remaining today. During the last pat of the Sixteenth Dynasty, the identities of five Pharaohs were missing from the records. **

** Because of this, I am placing the Pharaohs Atem, his father (I'm not even going to try to attempt the guy's name) and Seth during this time, in order to establish some legitimacy.**

** Another thing to note is the title 'Priest-King'. While the Pharaohs were considered to be the mouthpiece of the gods (or even a god himself, according to Ramses), they didn't fulfill any sort of role as a priest of any sort. I did this because I thought it would make him stand out from the other Pharaohs, and as a semi sort of inspiration for the 'Heretic King' Ahkenaten (for those of you who don't know, he was the Pharaoh who for a time established a monotheistic religion). A fictional character inspiring a real life Pharaoh? O.o**


	5. Chapter 4: Five Thousand Year Identity

Chapter 5: Five Thousand Year Identity

**And now is the time for the revealing of my version of Kisara! Dun Dun DUNNNNNNN! Warning: She isn't like other versions, just so you know**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After much cajoling and bribery ( sort of, one can't really bribe the head of a multimillion dollar company), Marik and Ishizu managed to convince Seto Kaiba to travel with them. To Seto, this might be the only way to get rid of the cursed dreams, though he was never going to admit it to the Ishtars. Shortly after Ishizu's release from the hospital, they made the travel arrangements to assist with the dig at the temple complex. Odion was going to stay at their apartment during their trip, which according to Ishizu, was going to take a couple of months at the most; Kaiba intended to leave much earlier than that.

Currently, they were sitting in one of Kaiba's private planes, used when he couldn't use his jet. Marik was sleeping on one of the large couches, limbs sprawled everywhere as he snored. Ishizu was on the phone with Dr. Knighton, making living arrangements; the man was absolutely ecstatic that she was coming to help; he considered her one of the leading authorities on the Lost Pharaohs. Kaiba was furiously typing away on his laptop; even though he couldn't be there, Seto Kaiba still had to work.

"Mr. Kaiba," one of his employees said. "We will be landing at Cairo International Airport shortly."

Kaiba gave a curt nod. "Thank you." he closed his laptop and gazed out the window, looking at the sea of sand below.

XXXXXXXXXX

The sand at the dig site blew around, the coarse grittiness getting into everything and annoying everyone, including a young student named Katrina, or 'Kat' or 'Kit', as she liked to be called, Dawson.

She hissed in irritation as she blew away the sand that had blown on the page of her sketchpad. Studying at the university that Dr. Knighton taught at, she was invited to come along after he had noticed her acute interest in the subject of ancient Egypt. The ironic thing was, she wasn't studying to be an Egyptologist at all. She was a double major in Art and History. "Stupid sand," she muttered under her breath. "Whoever invented it oughta be shot." She was currently drawing out the predicted image of the temple. From what the ruins told her, it was going to be similar to the great temples she had studied. It was built along the east-west axis, with the remains of a large brick wall, with an outer court supported by thick pillars, then an inner court, and finally, the sanctuary where the actual worship of the deity took place.

"Kit," Dr. Knighton, or Alan, as he insisted, tapped her on the shoulder, getting her attention. Katrina spun around to find the older man looking over her shoulder, studying her drawing, which wasn't much so far since spent most of her time blowing away sand. "Don't forget to pick up our guests. They'll be here in a couple of hours."

She smacked her forehead. "Dang it! I totally forgot! Sorry about that! I guess I lost track of time."

"Well, I have been reminding you the past few days."

She brushed off the sand as she stood up. "Don't make me feel dumber than I already do. Besides, it's only a short trip, kind of."

"You better hurry then."

She gave her professor a salute. " Alrighty then, I'll be on my way then." She gave a cheeky smile. "Who am I picking up again?

Dr. Knighton gave her a playful smack. "Ms. Ishtar, her younger brother and a friend, though she didn't specify who he or she were."

"Or was it the fact that you weren't paying attention?"

Dr. Knighton made another playful swipe at Katrina, who dodged it and scampered off, sketchpad in hand. He then heard her yell, "Where did you say the keys were again? Wait, never mind I found them."

Dr. Knighton sighed. "What am I going to do with that girl?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Katrina managed to make it to the airport shortly the Ishtars were supposed to arrive. She even managed to make a poster for them, one that said 'The Ishtars and The Other Person With Them'. She giggled at her own joke. She always had a smart-alecky sense of humor, one honed through a battle of wits with her now deceased older brother, who died while serving a tour of duty over in Afghanistan. She absentmindedly rubbed the tattoo she got remembering him, one of an ankh and the Eye Of Horus, symbols of eternal life and protection, respectively. It was on the inside of her left wrist. The two of them had loved Egypt as children, they even planned to go to Egypt one day when they were older.

_"How ironic how when I finally get to go, you aren't with me," _she thought.

"Hey, I think that's the girl that's supposed to pick us up!" a young man's voice shouted from across the arrival area of the airport. She perked up to find three people heading her way. One was a woman, tall and elegant, with an air about her reminiscent of the Egyptian queens of old, her blue eyes full of wisdom and experience. The second was a younger man, with pale blond hair and eyes the colors of lavender; he must have been the one who shouted.

_"Ooh, he's cute," _Katrina thought. _"I'm definitely getting him to sit next to me on the way back—," _She then saw the third person. He was tall, like the woman, wearing a long white coat. His icy blue eyes bored into her, which quickly flickered surprise, but was then repressed as he studied her, like a predator choosing his prey. _"Then again maybe not. I must have died and gone to cute guy heaven. I must be the luckiest girl alive." _

Seto felt something travel up his spine as he saw the girl who had arrived to pick the three of them up. She looked to be a little shorter than him, with some curves, but nothing too extreme. She was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a blue tank-top, paired with what used to be black boots, now tan and dirty from the sand Her tank-top showed off her tanned skin though he could see tan lines, where the darkened skin met her fair skin. It was obvious she wasn't naturally tan. But what got his attention were her facial features.

She had an oval shaped face, with a nose that was slightly crooked to the left, with a bump in it; apparently she had broken it once or twice in her lifetime. Her lips were full, a near perfect cupid's bow shape. But her eyes, they were a gorgeous hue of blue, warm and inviting. They reminded him of the ocean waters of the Caribbean, from that one time when he went there for a business meeting. Her hair got his attention as well. It was platinum blond, the very light shade of platinum blond. It was cut short, framing her face and brushing her shoulders. Seto could see two Egyptian tattoos on her left wrist and a bulge in her pants pocket, suggesting the presence of some sort of bladed weapon, maybe a switchblade.

"So, she began. "You must be the Ishtars that Dr. Knighton told me to pick up." she offered a hand. "I'm Katrina Dawson, but you can call me 'Kat' or 'Kit' for short, just not 'KitKat' though. I get that a lot and it's annoying and cheesy."

"I'm Ishizu and this is my brother Marik." Ishizu said, taking Katrina's hand.

"Hi!" Marik smiled. He then jerked a thumb over in Seto's direction. "And grumpypants over there is Seto Kaiba. He's a bigwig head of a company that makes gaming stuff."

"I can introduce myself thank you. I don't need a translator" He then looked Katrina over, from top to bottom. He had seen her somewhere before, but what was it? She shifted slightly, feeling uncomfortable. "Tell me, do you dye your hair at all?" he asked, trying to confirm his theory.

Katina's jaw just about literally dropped to the floor. "What type of question is that? No 'hello's' or 'hi'? Just some question about my hair? Man, you are rude! And for your information, my hair is NOT dyed, unlike the bimbos at my college." She was tempted to slap him, but if what the Marik kid said was true, he was a CEO if a large company and could probably file charges on her faster than she could blink. Maybe she'll do it later, when he wasn't looking.

"Here, the jeep's this way." She stated curtly, glaring daggers at Seto. As her and Ishizu made their way to pick up their luggage, Marik nudged Kaiba.

"Yeah man, what kind of question is that? That was rather rude of you."

Kaiba looked down at him. "It was just a simple question, that's all. She shouldn't have reacted like that. And please, don't touch me."

"You really need to learn some social skills." Marik shook his head and walked away to join his sister and Katrina.

Kaiba watched as the three pushed their way through the crowds. It wasn't a rude question; like he said, she overreacted, but her answer did confirm his theory. She looked exactly like the girl from the Memory World, the one who housed the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Kisara.

XXXXXXXXXX

**Ta-dah! There you have it! And do not worry, she is definitely not going to become a Mary-Sue, because I can assure you that reincarnations of Kisara don't have tattoos and run around with switchblades in their pant's pocket. So, like her? Loathe (tee hee hee I love that word) her?**

** And for this chapter's history lesson: Egyptian temples. (Holy crap, it IS turning into a history lesson) Egyptian temples were the epicenter of their religion , a bastion between society and chaos. The ironic thing was that thee were not intended for public worship, unlike places in our society today. Instead, they were seen as housing sites for the gods, where they would practice rituals to keep the god pleased. The common everyday worshiper could not go beyond the outer court of the temple; the inner areas where reserved for the priests and their entourage.**

** Another thing to note is the alignment of the temples. Almost all temples were built along an east-west axis, following the sun's path. Also, all temples had a large wall surrounding the complex, symbolizing the separation of order from the outside chaos. **


	6. Chapter 5: Treasure Trove

Chapter 5: Treasure Trove

**And to answer HopelessRomantic183's , the original draft/ plot, was actually going to become Kaiba/Ishizu, but then the character of Katrina Dawson magically popped in my head and thus abandoned by the wayside lol.**

The ride back to the dig site was uneventful. Katrina and Marik hit it off right away, the two chatting animatedly. Seto sat in the back of the jeep, with Ishizu, his eyes watching the sea of sand go by. How anyone could stand being out here for longer than five seconds he didn't know.

"So", Marik asked. "What do you do here on the site? Are you an intern, an archeology student or what?"

"Yeah, I'm a student, but not in the Archeology Department. I'm actually a double major in Art and History, Ancient History to be exact. I'm hoping to become an archeo-artist when I graduate. It's like a paleo-artist, only I get to travel around the world."

"I don't think I ever heard of a 'paleo-artist' let alone an 'archeo-artist' before. What's that?"

"Well, a paleo-artist is one who paints creatures of the past, like dinosaurs, using their fossils as references. An archeo-artist does kind of the same thing, but with things like ancient ruins and what not. It's usually done for museums and companies for National Geographic."

"Doesn't seem like it would make a lot of money," Kaiba commented.

" If you do what you love, money shouldn't matter as much. One would just have to learn to work with it."

"And become a starving artist? Have fun with that one," Kaiba retorted.

Ishizu and Marik exchanged glances. The two were brewing up for another war of words and the two Ishtars were caught in the middle.

"I think that's an awesome job," Marik interjected, trying to dissipate the argument before it began. "Though it sounds like a specialized field."

"It is, but I think I can make it. If not, well there are other things to do, just as long as it deals with art or ancient history. I'll be a happy camper either way."

Kaiba snorted at the last comment, earning himself a death glare from Katrina in the rear view mirror. The beginnings of the dig site began to appear around them and Katrina pulled up to where some other jeeps are parked. "Here we are. From what Dr. Knighton said, Ishizu and I will stay in one tent thing, while Marik and Kaiba will stay with the guys." She grinned evilly at the thought of Seto Kaiba staying with a bunch of interns and older archeology professors. She would pay to see his reaction. "Have fun boys." Helping to carry Ishizu's bags, Katrina and Ishizu headed towards one large tent.

Kaiba looked to Marik as if to say, 'I have to stay with you?'.

Marik raised an eyebrow at the taller CEO. "Trust me, I'm not to thrilled with staying with you either. Just don't hog the electrical plugs for you laptop."

XXXXXXXXXX

Katrina sprawled out on her cot, exhausted beyond all belief. Ishizu was on another cot, reading from some sort of book and jotting down notes. How the woman was able to stay awake after traveling so far Katrina had no idea.

She flopped herself to face Ishizu. "So, what'cha doing?"

Ishizu looked up. "Research."

"On what?"

"The evolution of the Book of the Dead."

"Sounds interesting."

"It is, but the work is very tedious."

"I can imagine. That's why I'm not going into research. Too lazy to do stuff like that, but tragically, my university classes force me to." Katrina made a gesture. "Yippee," she remarked sarcastically.

Ishizu smiled at the girl's remark, remembering all the monotonous papers she had to write; it was even worse for Ishizu due to the fact that she was in an accelerated program to get her degree. "Do you stay here by yourself?"

"Pretty much. There were some girls that stayed with me in the beginning, but they all quit, leaving me by my lonesome, but that's fine by me, they got on my nerves anyways plus I like privacy."

"Oh, am I going to bug you then?"

"Nah, you aren't like them so it won't bug me."

"I'm glad."

"Ms. Ishtar! Katrina! You should come and see this!" an archeology student burst into the room, his face flushed with excitement.

The two girls followed him out to a section of the temple complex, surrounded by a group of gawking archeologists. Ishizu shoved her way through, followed by Katrina, who had slightly more difficulty since she wasn't as tall.

"Oh good Ishizu you're here!" Marik babbled; he was there as well. Kaiba stood off to the side, aloof and looking absolutely bored out of his skull.

They had found a shaft leading deep into the ground, beautiful reliefs carved on the shaft's walls. Dr. Knighton came out of the shaft, holding large bundles of what appeared to be papyrus scrolls. "We found an underground library!" Dr. Knighton explained, ecstatic. "With scrolls in these shelves that were built into the wall. They're in near perfect condition! This might be the first clue we have to finding Seth's tomb! And maybe his cousin's!"

Ishizu beamed. "This has to be the biggest find in nearly a decade, possibly even more! If you can get them recorded and counted, I would like to have them as soon as possible to read them."

"Why of course Ishizu. I would be honored to hand them over to you. After all you are the leading expert on the Lost Pharaohs." Dr. Knighton winked. "Just promise you'll keep me in the loop."

"Course I will. Now if you'll excuse me, can someone lead me to the dining hall. I'm quite hungry." Marik nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Katrina began to give directions. "So after going that way for about fifty yards, make a sharp left at the reddish looking tent. Then, make a right at the third tent on your right side. It'll be the really big tent with the smell of canned food coming from it."

Marik groaned. "So many tents!" he joked. "I'll starve before then!"

"Then here, have my Snickers bar. Wuss."

Ishizu ushered Marik along. "Come on Marik. A Snickers Bar does not count as a meal." The two were gone, winding their way through the miniature city of tents. Katrina shrugged and bit into the semi melted Snickers Bar.

"Mmm, chocolate." She noticed that Seto Kaiba had rolled his eyes and was walking away. She rolled her eyes as well. "Jerk."

XXXXXXXXXX

After the dinner consisting of MREs, Ishizu went back to her tent to study the recently discovered papyrus scrolls. Even though some of them hadn't been recorded and counted yet, she had to read them. Maybe they held something about the location of Seth's tomb, or the mysterious dagger. The hieroglyphics began to blend with each other as her eyelids started to droop. Jet lag was beginning to take its toll on her. She had just enough time to move the scroll she was reading aside before she fell asleep at the small desk she had been provided with.

A few minutes after she had fallen asleep, Katrina walked into the tent. She had lost track of time after becoming engrossed with a few rounds of Texas Hold'em, which she had lost, badly. Marik told her she had a bad poker face. She noticed Ishizu asleep, the older woman's head on the desk. _"Man, she must have been really tired. Jet lag and reading a bunch of pictures for who knows how long will do that for you." _ Katrina went over to the cot Ishizu was sleeping in and grabbed a blanket. She then went over and placed the blanket around Ishizu's shoulders, so she wouldn't get cold. Desert nights were absolutely freezing this time of year.

Katrina spotted the papyrus scroll Ishizu had been reading. _"This looks interesting," _She gingerly picked it up, careful of the delicate material, and carried it over to her small desk, shoving her sculpting supplies aside as she turned on the table lamp. She put on her reading glasses and began to read. She could read hieroglyphics, just not very well, thus forcing her to take her time.

But as she was reading, she was struck with the feeling of deja vu. _"It feels like I've read this before, but that's impossible considering that's its been buried underground for nearly five thousand years." _ She continued to read the scroll, unable to shake off the feeling. The scroll talked of Seth's time as a priest on something called a 'Millennium Court'. It was very interesting, the papyrus telling of Seth's adventures dealing with criminals and something called 'Shadow Monsters'. She was engrossed by the tales, but then the scroll changed focus, shifting to the time after his cousin died and his first night as Pharaoh. It said that he had been visited by his god Anubis. The scroll didn't say much more about it.

She suppressed a huge yawn as she glanced at a small alarm clock next to her. _"I better get to bed too, it's really late." _she shut off the lamp and she placed the scroll back in its original place by Ishizu; she shut off Ishizu's table lamp as well. She pulled the blankets over her head and fell asleep, where she was visited by dreams of white dragons and shape-shifting hieroglyphics

XXXXXXXXXX

Kaiba couldn't sleep, staring at the tent ceiling, surrounded by a bunch of snoring archeology students and their professors. Marik was snoring too, just not as bad. Frustrated, Kaiba stormed out of the tent, praying that it'll be somewhat quieter outside.

The night sky overhead was beautiful, filled with hundreds of stars scattered across the autumn sky. The Milky Way spread from one side of the sky to the other. It was beautiful and peaceful, giving him the feeling of relaxation, diverting him from other thoughts that had been plaguing him lately, like that girl Katrina.

He knew the two of them didn't hit it off right away. She didn't like him, and he most certainly did not like her, yet why could he not stop thinking about her? It was probably due to the fact that she looked like that Kisara girl. He had the feeling that all of the things that had been occurring lately were somehow connected, but he didn't feel like connecting them at the moment._ "I've been hanging out with the nerd herd too long," _he thought, yawning as he did so. He was extremely tired and didn't have the energy to think anymore.

He wandered over to the tent he was staying at, then decided against it. It was much to noisy in there. But where to sleep? Seto remembered that the girl's tent was mostly empty, occupied by only Ishizu and Katrina. Girls didn't snore, right? He made his way into their tent, finding Ishizu still asleep at her desk and Katrina in her cot, limbs every which way and her blanket half on the floor while she slept. Neither were snoring, so that was a good sign in Kaiba's book. He found an empty cot further away from the two girls and crashed there.

But as he fell asleep, the question came back, haunting his subconscious like a scepter.

_ "Where is the Dagger? Where is the Dagger?" _

_XXXXXXXXXX_

** Ah, the pieces are starting to weave themselves together (tee hee hee), and I guarantee that the next chapter will be funny, very much so. Mwahaha!**


	7. Chapter 6: Cycles on The Wheel of Time

Chapter 6: Cycles on the Wheel of Time

_Seto was in the place again, the ruins of the tomb surrounding him. But it was different this time. About fifteen yards away from him was a man dressed in a black robe, a knife of some sort in his hand. The stranger was tall, with broad shoulders and chest. A scar ran across his pockmarked face._

_ "So Seth, have you come to claim your treasure once more?" The man asked, in two voices that were clearly not his own. One was female, dark and seductive, the other was male, full of barely constrained anger._

_ "Treasure? I have no idea what you're talking about," Seto sneered. "And do I look like a person named Seth to you?"_

_ The man looked at the knife, then shrugged. "Very well then." He then raised the knife up, pointing the tip of the dagger towards his heart._

_ "Seto, don't let him do it!" a woman cried, she sounded oddly like Katrina. She looked like her too, only with longer hair that reached down to her lower back, like a modern day version of the Kisara girl. "He's trying to release them!"_

_ Seto looked at Katrina/Kisara in surprise. "Trying to release who?" he asked._

_ It was too late. The man plunged the dagger into his chest, blood spurting on the sandstone ruins. The man was then consumed by a black fire, his screams of agony drowned out by the roar of the dark flames. Two dragons emerged from the fire, the same ones from his earlier dream. "Too late now! The dragons roared, shooting out jets of the black flame, heading towards Seto and Katrina/Kisara._

"I didn't think you could die in dreams," _Seto thought as he shielded his face from the flames; however, the burning sensation never came._

_ Katrina/Kisara was blocking the flames, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon hovering above her. The flames moved around her and then slowly died away and she fell to the ground, smoke coming off her body. Seto didn't like it when people saved his life, it meant that he owed them something, and at the same time, made him feel weak, like some damsel in distress. This time was no different. He lifted up Katrina from the ruins._

_ "Wake up Dawson," he hissed, shaking her lightly. He face and body were badly burned, her once beautiful hair covered with soot and blood. "I'm not in the mood for this! Wake up!"_

_ Her blue eyes fluttered open. "Seto?" she coughed. The she spoke again, but like the dead man, her voice wasn't her own. "Seth? Are you alright?"_

_ "I'm not in the mood for this Dawson!"_

_ Katrina/Kisara placed a hand to his face. "You know that I will always be your protector right? I have protected you for five thousand years and I will protect you for five thousand years more if I need to. Our love is like a cycle on the Wheel of Time, it will always be there, until the last moment ends.." She then closed her eyes and fell unconscious in Seto Kaiba's arms._

_ And Seto Kaiba was blissfully blessed with darkness._

XXXXXXXXXX

Katrina woke up to the sound of her alarm clock, though it was safe to say that this was the first time she was grateful for the electronic device. She shook her head, trying to dispel the images from her subconscious. _"Man, that was a strange dream last night. I didn't think it was possible to nearly die in one's dream. Running around as a dragon didn't help either. Nor confessing your love to a guy that you've barely even met. Curse you subconscious, curse you." _She managed to drag herself out of bed, grabbing her essentials and began to leave the tent and towards the tent set aside for the portable showers and toilets. She glanced at Ishizu, who was still conked out at her desk, and smiled at the site.

The tent seemed off for some reason though, and she looked again. There was another guest in the tent, occupying one of the other unused cots. She went over to look. The person looked very familiar. Tousled dark brown hair, long limbs, an arrogant smirk seemingly permanently plastered on his face-

-Seto Kaiba was sleeping in her and Ishizu's tent.

She blinked once, then twice in surprise, tilting her head in mild confusion. He looked kind of cute when he was sleeping, peaceful was more like it though. Whenever she saw him, he looked rather stressed, especially whenever she saw him work at his laptop. Marik did say he ran a big company.

Her attitude towards him wasn't exactly the most mature either. She always had a temper and was touchy about certain things in her life, his blunt questioning and viewpoints setting her off at a moment's notice.

She noticed that his blanket was mostly off him, the woolen material mostly on the pounded dirt floor. _"Guess it wouldn't kill me to be nicer to him from now on. I should give him another chance," _she thought as she fixed the blanket so that it was actually on him and not on the floor, but as she fixed the blanket nearest his face, his cobalt blue eyes opened up to find her a foot and a half away from his face.

"What on earth are you doing Dawson?" he asked, looking mildly flustered.

"You blanket was off. I was just fixing it," Katrina could feel her face heat up. "That's all. It's still pretty cold this time of day. Sun's not all the way up yet."

"Well, I can see that, and I was sleeping just fine."

"K, fine, what are you doing here anyways? You were in the other tent."

"They sounded like a bunch a frat boys sleeping off a hangover. And I'm sure that in a couple of cases, they were."

"So the Kaibaman does have a sense of humor then."

Kaiba slid off the bed and headed towards the entrance of the tent. "Wait where are you going?" Katrina asked.

"I'm getting my things. I'm staying in here from now on. Much more quiet."

Katrina looked completely baffled. "Did I say yes?"

Ishizu stirred. "What's going on?" she asked groggily.

Katrina shrugged. "Apparently Kaiba has decided he's going to stay here from now on. Oh by the way, do you mind if I work with you today? I heard it's going to be a scorcher."

Ishizu nodded. "I don't see anything wrong with that. I'm going to be working more with the scrolls today. Can you read hieroglyphics?"

"Yeah, but they start to blend together and confuse me, so I have to read them slower than my colleagues."

"That will be fine." Ishizu handed her a scroll from a container next to her desk. "You can start with this one."

"And what are we looking for exactly?"

"Anything dealing with Seth."

"Alright, I can work with that. Just let me get ready first before they steal all the hot water." Katrina bolted out of the tent, essentials in her hands and muttering something about a certain CEO.

Ishizu smiled. In her mind, the two fit each other well, like yin and yang. Her fire and his coldness, her creativity and his technology, they seemed to fit perfectly.

Now, if only they could stop ripping at each others throats, they might actually become good friends.

XXXXXXXXXX

After fighting a vicious battle with the other site residents, Katrina came back to the tent, her hair mostly dry and smelling of the Fructis brand of shampoo. She was dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a t-shirt with 'The Empire Strikes Back' movie poster image on it.

"Alright, so what did I miss?"

"Nothing much. Marik will be dropping by to help us sift through these too."

"Good, there's nothing wrong with another set of eyes." She unfurled her scroll and started to read, her reading glasses perched lightly on her nose.

After about fifteen minutes of silence, Ishizu spoke up. "Katrina, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure fire away."

"Alright then, do you normally have your hair longer than that length?"

Katrina nodded. "Actually yeah I do. I usually keep it to about halfway down my back, but I cut it short just before I got here so I wouldn't roast. Then I donated my cut hair to a charity that makes wigs for sick kids. How could you tell anyways?"

"Just a hunch." Ishizu went back to her reading. She remembered a long time ago, when she still wore the necklace, a vision. But she didn't wish to alarm the girl, not just yet.

"Hey, I think I found something," Katrina said, looking at a set of lines on the scroll she was reading. "It sounds like a prophecy of some sort, or at the least, a riddle."

Ishizu came over, peering over the girl's shoulder, where Katrina was pointing at. She read it out loud.

"_The One who could once See, but no longer can,_

_The girl with the White Dragon within,_

_And the Pharaoh once lost, now found,_

_Are the Key to finding the Dagger,_

_And the power to sever the Soul from all._

"_Lead with your Heart,_

_Pray on your knees,_

_Five thousand year lovers,_

_To set the Dagger free."_

"Oh that doesn't sound ominous at all," Katrina remarked sarcastically. "But this Dagger thing sounds really important."

"I agree, maybe it will lead us to Seth's tomb. _Or maybe the identity of my attacker._"

"Hey I'm here." Marik proclaimed, entering the tent. "What did I miss?"

"Congrats, you have the worst timing ever." Katrina deadpanned.

"I'm guessing it was something pretty important then," Marik replied, a smile on his face.

"It seems to be some sort of ancient prophecy pertaining to a dagger of some sort," Ishizu explained.

"Ooooohhhhh, could it be the one that that guy asked-" Marik was hushed by his sister with a looked, who then mouthed 'not yet'.

Katrina looked back and forth between the two. "Did I just miss something?"

"Nope," the Ishtars replied.

"Oookaay," she said, then went back to reading, adjusting her glasses as she scanned the scroll.

Meanwhile, the Ishtars were arguing with each in Arabic. "Don't blab about things like that Marik!" Ishizu scolded. "You never know who's listening!"

"I highly doubt that. Katrina was the only one in the room anyways!"

"Still Marik!"

"What, you don't trust her?" he accused.

"It's not that I don't trust her, it's that even I'm sure what exactly is going on."

"Kaiba knows."

"He is an unwilling participant in this whole thing and I pray that this will never come to pass."

"Ishizu, it's too late now. The temple discovery, you attack, Kaiba, we're all connected somehow. We can't change that."

"I know Marik, I just fear that this dagger will cause more destruction than we know. You had the Rod, I had the Necklace. I saw things in the past, present, and future. I was practically omnipotent, all-seeing all-knowing. Now, with the necklace gone, I feel blind, like I'm wandering in an impenetrable darkness with nothing to guide me with. This Dagger is hidden of the darkness, threatening me with every turn and since I cannot see it, I'll never know when it will cut me."

Marik laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Ishizu. I wish I could help."

"It's alright Marik. The only thing we can do now is wait."

Marik looked over at Katrina, who was still reading the scroll. She was going to be involved in this he just knew it.

He didn't know when or how though, and when she does-

-He had a feeling that the whole world will be brought to its knees.


	8. Chapter 7: Storm of The Gods

Chapter 7: Storm of The Gods

** For those of you who are wondering, this story takes place through November-December-January. Right now, it's the around early-mid December**

XXXXXXXXXX

The next few weeks passed by without incident. The unearthing of the temple continued and Ishizu continued to feverishly study the scrolls, searching for answers, but found none, save for the prophecy found by Katrina. There had been no new discoveries during the unearthing of Anubis's temple, nor was there any sort of clue as to the location of Seth's tomb.

The interaction between Katrina and Seto Kaiba boiled down to a simmer as well. The two had a peculiar relationship with each other, one that always somehow manages to turn into a battle of wits; there weren't harmful barbs exchanged between the two of them, it was just their viewpoints were so different, they always seemed to end up debating them. She always ran hot and was brash, while he was cold and calculating. It was entertaining to watch them argue; many people have said, including Marik, have said that they argued like a married couple. They just never said it to their faces without fearing the consequences.

Of course Kaiba would never admit it, but he actually enjoyed the war of wits with Katrina, she was the first person to fascinate him, truly fascinate him, in a long time. He wanted to take her apart, layer by layer, to see what made her the way she was.

Katrina, however, developed a different set of feelings for him. She was attracted to him, his very presence drew her to him. She was actually getting a crush on him. But it wasn't a simple school girl crush exactly, she felt drawn to him, like a moth to a flame, and she couldn't stop herself from being burned.

Not as if she wanted too.

The dig site laid below her as she worked on a sketch that showed both the temple and the surrounding scenery. The temple was unusual in the fact that it laid in such close proximity to the Valley of the Kings, the resting place of numerous Pharaohs. Dr. Knighton had brought forth the theory that the temple was seen as a symbolic protector of the valley; Anubis was seen as a guide to the afterlife and a guardian god, so it would be natural for a temple dedicated to him so close to his domain. Ishizu was inclined to agree.

Katrina's brow furrowed in concentration as she furiously sketched away. The temple complex was actually wedged between to walls of rock, as if it were a fortress protecting the souls of the Pharaohs from the chaotic outside world. The sun beat down as she continued to draw, unaware that someone was watching her.

A shadow passed over her drawing, blackening the page. "What the-" She turned to find Seto Kaiba standing next to her, watching her draw. "You know, there is a thing called privacy, or announcing your presence could have been nice."

"I didn't realize I need an invitation to be up here," he retorted.

"Fine, I have benevolently granted you permission to be up here," she joked. "What are you doing up here anyways? I figured you would be in your BatCave, working at your computer."

"I went out to get some fresh air. The tent is very stuffy. Maybe you should spray it sometime."

"I should? You were just in there. Why didn't you do it then?"

"Because I'm out here now."

"Whatever." she turned back to her sketch.

"You're doing a layout of the temple and the outlying structures."

"Obviously. It's unusual since it's so close to the Valley. I thought that by drawing the area around it, we could get a better view why."

" I thought Dr. Knighton had a theory."

"That's more of a spiritual theory. I'm looking for the more practical reason why. Many things that can be viewed as religious in our eyes could have been just a practical thing, like Stonehenge."

"But practicality and religion were often fused during times like these."

"But studies have shown that Stonehenge was nothing more than a giant clock."

"It was also seen as an important religious site as well."

Katrina went back to her drawing, refusing to admit that Seto was right, this round. "So, some fresh air huh?"

"That's what I said."

"Then go to someplace like Tahiti. The edge of the Sahara desert doesn't exactly seem like a place to get fresh air."

As she said that, she felt the hairs on her neck stand on end and she heard a roar in the distance, in a westward direction. She looked back and saw a brown cloud barreling towards the two.

"Sandstorm!" she shouted, adrenaline pumping through her system now. She looked back down at the dig site. There was no way that she or Kaiba would be able to get back in time; it had taken Katrina nearly forty minutes to get where she was, due to the fact that the region was rocky and unstable. And by then it would have been forty minutes too late.

XXXXXXXXXX

Marik had spotted the sandstorm barreling towards them, the dark cloud of sand looking like one of the Great Plagues. "Sandstorm!" He shouted as loud as he could, getting their attention. The people at the site quickly reacted, getting out of the open as soon as possible and into some stable structure, like one of the more permanent buildings they had set at the beginning of the expedition.

"Wait!" Dr. Knighton yelled. "Katrina's out there! She was doing some sketches and-" he could no longer say any more, his voice was choked due to fear.

"Kaiba's probably out there too" Ishizu said, she had elected to work out side today and she noticed Seto walking towards where Katrina was.

The three fell in silence as the scurried towards the nearest shelter. Wherever the two were, they could only hope that they had someplace to go to shelter from it.

XXXXXXXXXX

She glanced over at Seto, who was staring at the monstrosity racing towards him. His eyes were wide and his face looked pale with fright. Katrina cursed under her breath. She had heard horror stories about how sandstorms could rip the skin and flesh from a human body. If exposed too long, one could die out in the middle of a sandstorm, and dying in a sandstorm was not on her 'to do' list. She peered around, trying to find some semblance of shelter that could shield the two of them. The two were on top of the cliffs, so there wasn't much, but she did manage to find a group of rocks that could shield the two of them from the worst of it.

She grasped Kaiba's wrist. "Hang on to my hand," she demanded. "There's a group of rocks over there that we can use as shelter until the storm passes. Don't let go whatever you do. Once it hits, I won't be able to see you and if you let go, well I'd rather not find the results."

Kaiba nodded and held on as he and Katrina ran to the pile of rocks. They were about two thirds of the way there when the sandstorm hit, the wind nearly knocking Katrina over. The gritty sand bit at her exposed parts of her body, each grain of sand a stinging blow. She could taste it, smell it, feel it in her eyes as it swirled around her. The wind was keening loudly, making it impossible to hear anything else, not even her own thoughts, but she had to keep going, the pile of rocks was their only hop of survival.

She managed to feel her way there, her mind's eye remembering where it was. She huddled down next to it, Seto Kaiba close to her. The sand still blew around them, not going in anysort of direction, seeming to change at random. She then had another idea.

"Take off your coat Kaiba!" she shouted before her words were whipped away by the wind. She prayed that he heard her, or at least had the same idea. Thankfully he did, taking off the long white coat and wrapping it around the two of them, Kaiba pulling her close so that she would get the benefits of the protection as well.

Seto Kaiba was petrified. Never in his life did he expect himself to be in the middle of a sandstorm. He heard the horror stories about them. He was thankful that Katrina reacted so quickly and got them to somewhat of a safe place. When he saw it coming, he froze, like a rabbit seeing a hawk. But she was afraid as well. He heard her whimper fearfully and cling to him; he could feel her rapid heartbeat against his skin. Much to his own surprise, he pulled her even closer, her head on his chest, shielded by his coat. He could feel her warmth on his skin and the smoothness of it. Wait, why was he even thinking of that right now. He was in the middle of a freaking sandstorm for goodness sakes!

It felt like an eternity out in the sandstorm, the wind still at a fever pitch, sand still swirling around them. After nearly two hours, the storm finally abated, the sky returning to it's bright blue color.

Katrina was still shaking as she stood up, her knees weak and unwilling to cooperate. Kaiba was more sturdy and he helped her steady herself. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I think so," Katrina answered, a tremor in her voice. She looked down at her hands and groaned in disgust. Even though they were mostly sheltered, her exposed parts of her body, like her hands and legs, were rubbed raw and bleeding in some places. The sand had really done a number on her.

"Can you walk?"

"Probably," she took a couple of steps and it appeared that she could walk normally, though her stomach felt like it was about ready to do a somersault. "Let's not do that again, shall we?" she joked feebly, trying to make light of the experience. She had a feeling that she would have nightmares about it for a while.

"Yes, let's," Kaiba helped her down the cliff face, even though Katrina kept protesting that she was alright.

Unbeknownst to them, however, something was unearthed during the storm. A door in a cliff, looking ancient, seen for the first time in nearly five thousand years. About a half hour after Katrina and Kaiba left the scene, two people appeared, studying the door.

"It seems that this was no ordinary storm," a man said. He was tall and slender, with dark brown hair and golden-green eyes. "It appears to have been orchestrated. Could it have been our goddess? This is her domain after all."

The other person, a woman with golden brown hair and eyes the same hue as her friend's, shook her head. "I doubt it. It seems that someone else was behind it. Besides, our goddess was charged with hiding it from the world, not exposing it. Some one is manipulating the pieces on the game board. A war of the gods is imminent, and whoever wins, we mortal always loses." She made a gesture towards her friend. "Come, we must tell the others and prepare ourselves." The two were gone within moments, any trace of them gone, blown away by the hot breath of their goddess.

**Ooh, some new characters are in play. This is getting more and more fun by the second! Soo, can you guess the goddess mentioned in the chapter. If you can guess it correctly, you get a cookie! SO go on, try guessing, what harm will it do you?**

**Hint: she is considered the goddess of the desert and the winds that are associated with it. Her followers in the chapter also look like**


	9. Chapter 8: The Hunter and The Hunted

Chapter 8: The Hunter and the Hunted

The underground of Cairo was a vicious and dark place, full of thieves and murderers, black markets and underground cults dedicated to gods long believed to be dead and forgotten, remembered only by their ruined temples along the banks of the Nile. It was safe to say that Derrick Salazar could fit into all the above categories.

Derrick Salazar was once a member of the Rare Hunters, an underground organization once run by Marik Ishtar. Unlike his fellow comrades, he was not controlled by the Millennium Rod and thus one of Marik's few independent thinkers. He was Marik's go-to guy for dealing with collecting extortion, threatening people or anything else that would involve his meaty fists. But despite his brutish appearance, he was shrewd, calculating.

However, he was still a puppet, easily manipulated to do things. This time though, he was manipulated by the gods.

After Battle City Marik had disbanded the Rare Hunters, citing he no longer needed them. Those that were under the control of the Rod were freed and went on their way, unaware of the events that took place. Then there were those like Derrick, who had nowhere else to go. He wandered the streets of whatever city he wandered through, his fists and wits for hire.

Then They found him, and took him under Their wing, promising him riches and power if he did this one thing for Them. Find the Dagger, and set Them free. And Derrick was now officially the head of an underground cult, dedicated to the gods of chaos.

Derrick leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. His voluminous robes did little to his his large appearance, if anything, they made him look even larger. "The pieces are slowly coming together," he mused, his deep baritone echoing in the room. "Soon, the tomb will be revealed and the Dagger shall be found." he stared down in his hands, imagining the ancient relic there, absolute control at his fingertips.

_"Yesss, then we ssshalll be ffreeee," _the voices hissed. Derrick could practically imagine the forked tongues flickering in and out of their mouths.

_"Cool it you lizards, I'm working on it. We don't even know if the Dagger is there. It is said that the Dagger was stolen from the tomb, so it may not even be there."_

_ "Only a rumor, ssspreadd to keep them away," _They insisted.

"_The tomb robbers."_

_ "Yessss."_

_ "Very well then, we wait until the three Keys find the Dagger for us. Shouldn't be too hard for them now. The sandstorm I conjured up for them should have done the trick."_

_ "But we do not have time. The Eclisssspe will sssoon be here."_

_ "In January. They'll find it before then."_

_ "You better hope ssssooo, or it will be your head."_

Derrick shook his head and unconscious placed a hand to his throat. He wasn't in the mood to be ripped apart by ancient gods.

An acolyte ran in the chamber, panting heavily. "Master Derrick. The third Key has revealed herself."

Derrick smiled, making the acolyte feeling uncomfortable. "Really now?"

"Yes, during the sandstorm you conjured up, you forced her to protect the Lost Pharaoh, thus revealing her inner character."

"Good, good. So we have the blind Seer, a skeptical Pharaoh and the girl. What is hthis girl's name exactly?"

"Katrina Dawson."

"Katrina, Kisara, I can see the connection. Have her and the Pharaoh cemented their bond yet?"

"Not yet Master. The two seem to be at odds with each other. No romantic indications."

"We need them to be intimate with each other, otherwise I cannot get the Dagger. Fine, it seems that I will have to play a little matchmaker..."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Desert nights were cold, the type of cold that seeped into the bones and could kill if needed. The night was also a boon to certain creatures.

Like the lioness.

A slender shadow ran along the flat rooftops of Cairo, leaping gracefully from one building to another, able to leap spans that were nearly forty feet apart. A long spear was held in the shadow's hand, the symbol of her goddess. The wrath then stop, landing gracefully on the balls of her feet, her golden brown hair catching the light of the crescent moon. Another shadow cam to join her, a man, judging by the body built.

"Lady Scarlet," the man said, bowing at the waist.

"Evening." she replied. "Any word about the whereabouts of the cult yet?"

"None, they seemed to have disappeared into thin air."

"Hopefully it will stay that way," she prayed. "The last thing we need is a cult of Apophis here in Cairo. A god of chaos would have a field day in a city of this magnitude."

"They could say the same for us," the man offered.

"Yes, but our goddess is a protector and a warrior. She fights when she needs to, not whenever she wants to, like her avatar, who hunts only when needed." she countered, her hand going to the lioness head on her collar necklace. "what about the Three?"

"They seem unaware of the discovery yet."

"Keep it that way. The Dagger must be hidden at all costs."

The man nodded and went back inside the building, leaving the woman alone. She glanced up at the crescent moon above. _"Soon the Eclipse will be upon us, when Apophis and Tiamat are at their strongest. The veil between our world and their prison will be at the thinnest then as well. The Dagger cannot be found before then. It is the key to freeing him. And unlike last time, the gods will be too weak to fight him off, leaving the duty to us mortals."_

She took a flying leap off the building, running off in the direction towards a familiar site. _"Time to pay someone a visit."_

**Short, but hey, it's a transitory chapter XD. So have you still figured it out yet? I'll give you another hint, her symbol was featured in the chapter, as well as one of her titles :). Maying you guys guess is so much fun!**

**PS: Don't forget to review! Wait, I see you leaving, get back here and do it, or else you get no cookies. Dang it, I'm resorting to bribery now lol**


	10. Chapter 9: Visitation

Chapter 9: Visitation

** Warning: this sucker is going to be loooonnng... just saying XD**

The small piece of clay trembled as Katrina tried to place the piece on her latest sculpture, a miniature dragon preparing to leap into flight. It was a difficult piece, requiring Katrina to concentrate of getting the piece placed absolutely right since it was delicate and ready to topple over at any minute. She had been working with polymer clay since she had graduated from her high school a year and a half ago. She enjoyed working with the medium a lot taking her personal supplies with her when she traveled to Egypt. However, it was a pain in the next to get through customs since the medium had a chemical structure as certain plastics and thus mistaken for some sort of explosive device.

_"That was a fun time in custody," _she recalled, smiling at the memory. Her professor had to come to the interrogation room and explain that she was his student and merely brought some of her art supplies with her. _"Good thing I didn't bring my paint box with all my acrylic tubes of paint. Security would have had a litter of kittens right then and there," _Katrina giggled at the thought. She slowly moved the piece closer careful to not bump her desk, wincing as the skin on her hands pulled. Her hands were perhaps the most damaged from the sandstorm, rubbed raw from the gritty sand, there were even some parts in which the outer layer of skin was gone. However, she refused to let them wrap her hands, she needed them too much. In a way, her hands were her lively hood.

"Maybe I should get them insured, like how Heidi Klum has her legs and J. Lo has her tush. Well, I think her tush is insured. Hmm, I going to have to look that up now."

"Look what up?" Kaiba asked as he strode into the tent. He wasn't as hurt as she was due to the fact that he was wearing longer sleeves. He only had a few places where the skin was red and raw.

"Gah!" She shouted, dropping the piece she had and it fell to the dirt floor, to be lost forever in the sand. "Geez man, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Maybe you be more aware of your surroundings and it wouldn't happen again."

She ducked her head under her desk, hoping that she could could find the piece and salvage, but her search was futile. "Dang it," she muttered under the desk. "I lost it."

Kaiba went over to her desk and picked up one of Katrina's finished sculptures, a miniature replica of Slifer the Sky Dragon, about six inches tall and able to fit snugly in his hand. "Is this what you do in your free time?" he asked. "Sculpt Duel Monsters?"

Katrina plucked Slifer from Seto's hand. "If it gets me extra cash, then yes. Duel monsters are very popular you know."

"I know, I play the game remember? Do you even play the game?"

"Tried it and failed it miserably. I'm the ninja master at checkers though," she joked.

Seto ignored the joke and continued to inspect her pieces. They were incredibly detailed, he had to admit, down to the painted eyes and claws. One of the sculptures even had tiny feathered wings. "The colors are rather childish," he remarked.

"Blame the clay, they're very bright. And would it kill you to make a compliment once in a while?"

"Why?"

"Because it's a nice thing to do. It's polite and it makes people feel better about themselves."

"Uh-huh." Kaiba watched her work for a few moments, then went to his cot, flipping open his laptop as he did so. "Tell me when you've made a Blue-Eyes, then I might just give you a so called 'compliment'."

"Would you buy it if I did?"

"If it's actually decent."

Katrina growled and went back to the sculpture, a new idea springing in her head.

The tent was quiet for a while, the only sound coming from Seto's keyboard. He coughed and then spoke. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?" Katrina asked.

"You saved us during the sandstorm. You thought quickly enough to get us to shelter in time."

"At a price though," she murmured sadly looking at her hands; they would heal, but the fact that they could possibly be scared upset her. She never liked having scars, even though she had a few anyways. "Well, I didn't feel like dying in the middle of nowhere," she said to him.

"Nor did I,"

"Soo, do I get some sort of award for saving the keyster of Seto Kaiba?"

"I didn't think that people used the word 'keyster' anymore and no, you do not get some sort of monetary award. The only award you get is being spared from being eviscerated by my wit."

"Ooh, look, another joke from the Iceman. Congrats, maybe you should become a comedian." Seto was quiet, leaving Katrina with the feeling that she won that round of verbal sparing. She yawned and then realized that it was late again. "Well, I'm going to bed, night." She climbed into her cot and promptly fell asleep, the day's events wearing her out.

Kaiba continued to type, occasionally glancing at the sleeping Katrina. She slept with her mouth slightly open, her full lips parted just a little. She probably drooled a little bit he thought, thus making her attraction level drop a little bit, but not by much. She was pretty, not jaw-droppingly beautiful, but she had her own sense of beauty about her, coupled with her fierce independence and temper. A strand of her hair covered her face.

_"Why am I so drawn to her?" _he wondered. _"She's not gorgeous like some people I've met, but why her?" _The dream came back to him in a flash. _"No, I will not be duped into thinking that I have to fall in love with her. Destiny or any sort of that stuff is not going to dictate how I live and that's final." _but as he said that though, the words felt empty, hollow. Feeling unsettled, he turned off his laptop and fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of sandstorms, dragons and of a certain blue eyed girl.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The night was long as the woman made it into the site, her ceremonial spear in hand. She had come to warn them, to deter them from seeking the Dagger. Her acolytes and comrades couldn't do the job, she had too, the situation was too delicate for her acolytes to handle. Plus, her goddess demanded it from her. It was her duty to protect the Valley of the Kings, keeping would be tomb robbers from making off with the treasures and the mummies. Unfortunately she and her fellow members couldn't be everywhere at once and some managed to get away with it.

Those that didn't though, well, let's just say that they had been cursed by the gods.

She silently padded into the site, careful about exposing herself to the moon above, whose light shone down. She went barefoot, all the better to move cross the sand, plus the natural shapes of her footprints blended in with the shifting patterns of the earth below. She entered one of the tents, pleased to know that she had found the right one.

Katrina and Seto Kaiba were fast asleep, Katrina still sprawled across her cot. The woman chuckled at the site. Unconsciously, the two were leaning close to each other, not enough to touch, but close enough for the passerby to notice. However, they weren't the people she wished to talk to. She quickly glanced about and smiled in triumph.

_"Ah," _she thought. _"Ishizu Ishtar." _She silently moved over there and gently nudged the sleeping woman on the shoulder. Ishizu stirred but fell back asleep. Undeterred, she shook Ishizu again, this time getting a response.

"Who is it?" she mumbled.

"Are you Ishizu Ishtar?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes I am, why?"

"I wish to speak with you. May we go outside?"

Ishizu nodded and slowly got out of bed and the other woman led her outside the tent, in the shadows of the moonbeams.

The stranger began, "You cannot seek the Dagger."

"How do you know about the dagger?"

"I know many things. My goddess gives me the gift to do so. But you cannot search for it. The Dagger was not meant to be in mortal hands." Ishizu was silent, studying the woman that stood before her. She was tall, with the build of a gymnast, lean and muscular. She was wearing some sort of bronze armor that covered the upper part of her torso, leaving her abs visible; she also wore a pleated linen kilt, with what looked like bronze plates over it. She was barefooted, with a leather strap wrapped around her lower legs. A collar necklace with the snarling visage of a lion was around her neck and she carried a spear in her right hand. Her golden green eyes bored into Ishizu.

"I do not even know what this dagger is," Ishizu explained.

"The Dagger of Anubis is a dangerous weapon, a weapon of the god of the Dead himself. It has the power to sever the soul from the body, causing death. It can even kill the gods themselves."

"I do not understand, I don't want the Dagger, I just want answers."

"I know you do not desire to have it, but someone else does and they are using you to get to it. The best solution is to leave the site, or better yet shut the expedition down. That action will save more lives than you will know, including yours and those you care dearly about."

"I cannot simply just shut down the expedition, we've worked so hard to uncover one of Egypt's greatest mysteries."

"Then you have two choices. One: leave the site and deny the enemy the chance to gain ultimate power, or let yourselves become pawns in his deadly game. You aren't the only one he seeks to manipulate."

Ishizu shook her head. "Neither one of your choices will be happening anytime soon, I can promise you."

"Can you be so sure of yourself? If you wielded the Necklace still, I would be inclined to believe you, but you don't, so no answer of yours can be said with absolute certainty."

"Look, I don't know how you are, or what your intentions are, but do not doubt me or try to scare me off. I'm only here to find answers to questions I seek, not to gain power of any sort. And I can promise you that no one will find this Dagger while I'm here."

The stranger sadly shook her head. "Very well, you have made your choice and I am duty bound to respect it; I am also duty bound to protect those who are involve." She turned to walk away. "Which means that you will be seeing me in the future."

"Wait!" Ishizu cried out, making the stranger turn around. "Who are you?"

"You may simply call me the 'Lady of Flame'." She was gone, lost to she shadows.

Ishizu paused; why would someone be called by one of the goddess's Sekhmet's titles?

XXXXXXXXXXX

The way to Cairo University was simple, only a little ways from his residence. Derrick was going to make a visit to the dean there, to offer a proposition; however he wasn't going as himself, he was going as Dr. Alan Knighton.

It wasn't too hard for Derrick to disguise himself, a few cantrips and a minor spell or to and viola, he was the slightly eccentric doctor. He walked the grounds of the university and up to the dean's office. Much to Derrick's, aka, Dr. Knighton, pleasure, the dean was still in, working furiously on something.

"Dr. Ahmed," 'Dr. Knighton' started, drawing a surprised look from the dean. "Very nice to see you, but shouldn't you be at home right now, resting?"

"It's nice to see you too Alan. I would be home right now; however, there is still a budget that still needs to be balanced."

"Ah, I see," Derrick had passed the first test, he had managed to fool the dean. "Well then, I'll just come back tomorrow."

"You don't need to. What was it that you wanted to see me about?"

"Well, I had a proposition for you. You see, the majority of the people I'm working with are American and will be missing the holidays. I was thinking that we could hold some sort of dance to perhaps cheer them up. The dance can be held campus wide, so the festivities can be spread around."

"An interesting idea Alan," the dean said. "The campus has never held any sort of holiday activities. I might just think about it, though I cannot guarantee it."

'Dr. Knighton' gave a courteous half-bow. "I understand, but please, contact me when you get an answer." 'Dr. Knighton left the office.

As Derrick, who had now shed his disguise, left the campus, he murmured a few words under his breath. The words were unknown in origin, perhaps a fusion of Ancient Egyptian and Sumerian, either way, Derrick had enacted a spell to influence the dean's position to a more favorable one. _"The first step of my plan is complete. All I have to do now is wait for the right moment to release the White Dragon. Then the doors will open for me and I will have gotten what I rightfully deserved."_


	11. Chapter 10: Dance of Almost Seduction

Chapter 10: Dance of (Almost) Seduction

**BTW, about that last chapter, I have absolutely no clue about the university in Cairo, or if it's even called that. It was pretty much the only thing I didn't research for this fic. Maybe I should have lol**

**PS: Congrats to HopelessRomantic183 for guessing the god/goddess right, well, she pretty much had it right, so I gave it to her XD. Note: gods and goddess fuse and blend over time, which is why I did (read her reviews and compare it to the goddess I'm using; they're almost identical)**

Christmastime was nearing and the temperature had actually started to drop, almost, but that wasn't the only thing in the air. In a surprise gesture, the dean of the local university had announced a dance was going to be held on his campus, and the members at the dig site were invited to the dance as well. This, of course, had Katrina absolutely giddy. While on the outside it seemed that Katrina was a tomboy, she actually did act as a girl every once in a while, which including going to dances.

"Thank goodness the university was generous enough to let us get ready here," Katrina was telling Ishizu. The two girls were in one of the spacious bathrooms near the ballroom where the dance was being held. Katrina was doing some last minute touches to her makeup, while Ishizu watched. "Can you imagine if we had to get ready at the site, then drive all the way here? Its bad enough getting the dust and dirt out of regular clothing, it would be even worse with a dress like this, that needs to be dry cleaned." The two girls were dressed very elegantly, but their styles contrasted drastically.

Ishizu had opted for a floor length, spaghetti-strap dress that was a blue green shade. To cover the bare skin on her shoulders, Ishizu was wearing a sheer wrap a few shades off from her dress. Katrina's was very different. In a change of pace for her, she had chosen a dark red dress. It was strapless and had a low cut back, exposing a tattoo of a stylized dragon on her right shoulder blade. Laces went up the back to keep the dress from falling off, due to the fact that Katrina had a small bust to hold her dress up. A slit went up to just past her knee, exposing leg.

Marik poked his head into the restroom. "Are you two done in there? I've been waiting out here for practically forever!" In a uncharacteristic display of kindness, Seto had been nice enough to provide Marik with a tuxedo made by a high end designer company, Marik looked like a blond, Egyptian version of James Bond, all that was missing was the buxom babe on one arm and a martini glass in the other.

"We're girls," Katrina explained, checking her mascara one last time. "We're supposed to take 'forever'." She double checked her clutch and joined Marik and Ishizu, who had just left.

The ballroom was ritzy, with a high arched ceiling and beautiful paneling. "Okay, why a campus would have a fancy room like this solely dedicated to things like this, I have no idea," Katrina joked. "My college would have just used the gym for something like this."

"I'm guessing that they rent the place out to other groups," Marik offered, shrugging.

"Probably." Katrina sat down and immediately began to take her shoes-red ones with a one-and-a-half inch heel—off. "Never dance with heels on, its a pain in the butt, plus you suffer the rick of causing serious injury to yourself or to others. Don't ask me how I know."

Marik laughed. "I'll remember to not dance with heels—well, hello ladies." Marik became momentarily distracted as a group of women giggled and winked. Marik left the group to be surrounded by a bevy of college women. Dr. Alan had come up and offered to buy Ishizu a drink and she agreed, leaving Katrina alone in the expansive ballroom, surrounded by strangers.

_"Alright, this is not the way to spend a dance," _she thought a little gloomily. _"Okay Katrina, it can't be too hard, just walk up to a guy, flirt with him a little, then ask him to dance, simple as that-okay, maybe not. Dang, this sucks majorly. I'll just go get some punch and act all cute and __innocent, that should work a little bit better than plan 'A'." _her self-confidence back, Katrina wound her way past the dancers and to the punch bowl.

Meanwhile, Kaiba was watching the whole dance with a discerning eye. He had been to formal occasions similar tothis one, where he had to be courteous to colleagues and rivals to his company. He likened the occasions to walking in a den of snakes; some were poisonous, others were not, it just took a watchful eye to notice the difference. Like Marik, he too was dressed in a tailor-made designer tuxedo, however, his looked much more expensive. Girls were ogling, giggling and throwing flirtatious glances his way, he merely ignored them. He was used to them, but they never meant anything to him.

He watched as Katrina made her way to the punch bowl less than fifty yards from him. Seto had to force himself to not stare. It was as if he was seeing a totally different person, like this girl and Katrina had switched places. What curves Katrina had were accentuated by the red material that clung (he had no other word to describe it) to her skin. True, she had tan lines, areas of fair and tan skin,but those minor details didn't matter to him. It was just her and him.

"You know," Marik remarked. "If you stare anymore, your eyeballs are going to roll out of your skull." he took a sip of the punch he had.

Kaiba glowered at him. "I wasn't staring, I was merely observing."

"Huh, right. And I'm a flying pig." Marik snorted. "Why don't you just go talk to her? It's not like she's a total stranger, she's still Katrina, she only just hotter."

"Don't you have some fangirls to be surrounded by?"

"Eh, they'll get over it."

Kaiba merely nodded and went back to watching Katrina. A young man had approached her and asked her to dance. With a smile, she accepted, taking the young man's hand. Kaiba felt a stab of an unfamiliar feeling go through his body as he watched.

"Look Kaiba, we all know you have the hots for her, admit it."

"I don't need relationship advice from a person who's spent the majority of his life underground, alright?"

"I'm not giving relationship advice, I'm only stating what you're afraid to say. She's the only girl in your life who's ever stood up to you. She's independent and her own person, which in your eyes is attractive because you probably don't want a girl who will cling to you. She's talented in her own way other than Duel Monsters, so you don't see her as a rival. She's pretty and smart too. In a way, she is your perfect half. All you have to do is go over there and ask one dance from Katrina. That's all."

"I said I didn't need relationship advice, okay?" Marik noticed the halfhearted tone in Seto's voice and had to force himself to repress a grin. It appeared to him that his words had sunk in, if only a little.

"Alright fine, but if you lose her, you only have yourself to blame." Marik walked off, to be swarmed again by women who were probably mostly all older than him. Seto Kaiba was silent for a moment, contemplating Marik's words. Maybe Marik was right, he did have feelings for Katrina and he just simply wouldn't admit it.

_ "Or it could just be the hormones," _he thought, but the explanation just didn't seem to explain everything. _"'K, fine, I'll ask her for the stupid dance, then maybe he'll stop bugging me." _ He brusquely shoved his way to the dance floor.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Katrina should have been enjoying herself, as she always did with dances, but when one is stuck with a guy with alcohol on his breath, it suddenly became less enjoyable. Sine e had asked her to dance, the man had been trying to make the moves on her the entire time, shifting his hands to places where they shouldn't have been. Katina wished she could access her purse to mace the sleaze, just to get him to stop. _"Dear God, please do something with this guy to make him go away," _she prayed.

The man felt a tap on his shoulder as someone said, "I'll have this dance." the tone was threatening and dangerous. "Now." The guy scrambled off, just as the song was ending.

_"Okay, out of all the ways he could have gone away, Seto Kaiba was the last one I would have expected. _Um, thanks for the help. The guy was a drunk and a sleaze."

"You're welcome." Seto Kaiba offered his hands. "I'll have this dance with you."

"Is please even in your vocabulary?"

"Alright. May I _please_ have this dance with you?"

Katrina took his hands, trying not to get overly excited. Yes, she did have a crush on the guy, but she wasn't going to melt in a puddle at his touch. Well, not on the outside anyways. "See what a simple word like 'please' will get you."

Seto prepared to take the lead, then paused. "Can you dance?"

"Ballroom dancing, not so much."

"Here, then take my hands here," he shifted her grip. "And here. Just promise you won't step in my feet."

"Well, I'm not wearing heels, so you should be relatively safe." the song began and Seto took the lead, him and Katrina moving gracefully across the floor. She was tense and it showed by the way she moved alongside him. Obviously, this was her first time dancing in such a way.

"I have a better idea," Seto said. He moved her hands so that they were on his waist and he placed his on her's. "This should make it easier on you."

_ "Yeah right," _Seto's touch on the bare skin on her back was electrifying, sending tingles down her spine. She wondered if he felt the same thing._ "Probably not." _

The dance was slow, yet intense. Kaiba's theory had come true, the closer she was, the easier it was. She could feel herself loosening up and moving easier with his movements. Heat radiated off of Seto like a furnace, warming her, while his breath was dangerously close to her ear. The cologne he was wearing overwhelmed her senses and she found herself lost within his touch, until the world had become just her and him.

Kaiba noticed Katrina relaxing as the dance went along, giving him a thrill he couldn't explain with mere words. She was truly beautiful tonight, her deep blue eyes practically sparkling with warmth, though that could have been her eye shadow. He saw he the two of them fit, his and her bodies. His fingers lightly danced across her lower back and he soon found his face coming closer and closer to hers.

Katrina noticed it too. _"Wait, is he trying to kiss me?" _she wondered. _"Holy crap, I think he is. Whoa, Katrina slow down girl. First you almost beat off a guy who tried to do the same things Kaiba's doing, and now you're letting Kaiba do it to you?" _She froze suddenly, the thought of Seto sending her nerves off the grid. She suddenly bolted, loosening herself from Seto's grip and running towards the exit.

Kaiba was confused, unsure of what just happened. In a sudden turnaround, Katrina had run from him, just as he was about to do goodness knows what. _"Was I trying to kiss her? I think I was actually. Bloody hormones." _he peered around, hoping to find her and to explain himself.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Dang it, dang it, dang it!" Katrina yelled in frustration as she wandered the grounds around the campus. In her flight from the ballroom, she had grabbed her clutch, but not her shoes. Now, she was barefoot and frustrated.

"Why did I run like that? From him, of all people! He wasn't going to hurt me, he was just going to—CRAP!" She wanted to beat herself in the head right now. She was so close and instead, she ran off like a frightened hart. "Was I afraid, afraid of getting in a relationship with him?" During high school, Katrina had had a couple of bad boyfriends. They never hurt her, but they cheated on her and did other crap behind her back. "But he's not like them, I can tell, so why am I so afraid? Could it be the fact that I'm leaving in February?" She groaned into her hands, feeling confused and wretched at the moment. "I better go explain myself to him," but when she turned around to head back to the ballroom, something flew over her face, something like a washcloth. It had a sweet smell to it. She struggled, trying to get if off of her.

The word 'Chloroform' was the last thing that went through her head before she blacked out.

**That had to be the most detailed romantic scene I have ever written, maybe I should go get myself checked out normally I don't do such detailed romantic scenes, I usually imply stuff.**

**And Kaiba with hormones is a rather unusual thing to see, don't you think?**


	12. Chapter 11: Dragon in Chains

Chapter 11: Dragon in Chains

Katrina woke up to darkness. She didn't remember much, only that she had gone looking for Seto Kaiba when she became unconscious. There were traces of a sickly sweet smell in her nostrils, making her think of a funeral home for some reason.

_"Chloroform," _she realized. _"That must have knocked me unconscious." _That was why she could still smell it. She remember watching a crime show once that mentioned the stuff, that was how she knew what it was. She made a motion to rub her nose, but found her movement was limited. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she found that her hands were cuffed to chains. _"Oh, that's just peachy. I'm strung up in chains. Freaking Fantastic." _Something dripped into the corner of her mouth and she took a taste; it was her blood. _"As if this evening couldn't get any worse." _Her clutch containing her cell and her can of mace were too far from her to try to reach. She shivered from the cold and she realized that she was still in her red dress.

"Well, it looks like the little dragon is awake," a man's voice said. "You gave us quite a struggle trying to out you in the van, even gave one of my acolytes a bloody nose. It seems that you are resistant to chloroform. We had to give you a double dose of that stuff." The stranger flipped on a lights switch, turning on a couple of wall lights, which gave off a warm glow.

"Screw you," Katrina spat.

The stranger strode over to Katrina and smacked her across the face. She could taste the blood in her mouth, in addition to a chipped tooth. "Do not talk to me like that you miserable wench. I have the power here, not you!" he smacked her once more. He was tall, with broad shoulders and chest; Katrina suspected he played football in his youth. But it was his eyes that drew her attention the most; one was a dark gold while the other was completely black, with no visible distinction between pupil and iris. Both were cold and flat though.

"Oh yes powerful, chaining up a girl in chains after doping her up with illegal chemicals. Real powerful-" she couldn't speak any further due to the fact that the man had grabbed her by the throat.

"I would advise you to not toy with me right now. You see, I have the power to kill you right now with one squeeze. However, you are far too valuable for me to kill, but that doesn't mean I can't torture you to the very limits of your strength." He let go and he smirked as he watched her trying to catch her breath, color rushing back to her face.

Katrina was truly afraid for her life, but she wasn't going to show it, well she was going to try. The last thing she wanted to do was to give this sadistic piece of garbage the pleasure of watching her squirm. "What do you want from me?" she wheezed.

"Simple. I want the Blue Eyes White Dragon to be released and the third Key to be revealed."

"What do you mean dragon? I don't have any key."

"You poor ignorant child," he chuckled. "You don't have any idea what I'm talking about do you? Don't you feel the power within you whenever you get angry, that white hot energy that's yearning to be free?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do. You cannot lie to me, I can tell these sort of things you know." he knelt next to her and pulled out a knife, the blade long and thin. He jerked a strand of hair from her head and dropped it on the blade; it cut easily in half on the metal. "But you cannot release it at will, not just yet. It needs a little, 'stimulation'." he slid the flat of the blade along the underside of the jaw, then shifted it to her bare collarbone. Katrina tried to suppress a shudder as she felt the cold metal across her skin. "But we'll get to that later. First, however, I want to hear you scream." The knife turned.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kaiba searched everywhere, but there was still no sign of Katrina in the ballroom. "Maybe she went back to the site," he mused. "If only I had her cell number to reach her." he paused as he said that, wondering how those words tumbled out of his mouth.

"Kaiba, you look like you lost something," Marik remarked.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Katrina."

"You lost her? She was less than fifty yards away from you! You were gawking at her the whole time like some hormonal teenager. Wait, you do have hormones right?"

"Shut up Marik. I took your stupid advice and asked her to dance-"

"Nice."

"-But near the end of it, she froze and ran off."

"Err, not so nice."

"So now I can't find her."

"Oh."

Kaiba looked as if he were about to blow his top. "Have you seen her?"

"No I haven't but maybe Ishizu has."

The two found Ishizu and it turned out that she hadn't seen her either. They grew increasingly worried as time passed and there was still no sign of her. The dance was nearly over and there was nothing. Ishizu had the suspicion that something was terribly wrong, but didn't wish to alarm the others; Marik saw Katrina like a sister and Kaiba, well, she didn't know how he felt about her, but Ishizu had the feeling that it was romantic.

"How about calling her?" Ishizu suggested. "You have her cell, right Marik?"

"Yeah I do, let me call her." Marik dialed her cell and waited for her reply. All he got was her voice mail. He hung up, discouraged.

"Well?" Kaiba asked

"I got her voice mail and that's it." Marik frowned and thought for a moment, trying to figure out where she might be. "She could be back at the campsite, working on her sculptures."

"Then she would have answered her cell," Kaiba said, growing agitated.

"Well then, we've exhausted all of our sources," Marik sighed. "So now what?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Katrina shivered, the cold and the blood lose making her fell so cold. The man had cut the knife along her collarbone and then along her bare shoulder, leaving thin lines of blood. She could feel it trickle down her chest, staining her dress the color of dried blood. The coppery tang of her blood filled her nostrils, blocking out any other senses. _"Why haven't they found me yet? Where are you Seto?" _

"Having fun yet my dear?" The man asked, wiping the thin blade clean. "Don't you feel the power surge through you? That white hot energy? Just release it and I'll let you go."

"I have no idea what you mean." Katrina explained, though that wasn't exactly true. She did feel something, something stirring deep within her soul, as if it were waiting to be released. It reminded Katrina of a river, filling rapidly with water; the water churned and roiled within its banks, but it didn't flow over, not just yet.

The man shrugged. "Oh well. You," he commended to one of the acolytes. "Watch over her, though I doubt she'll be running anytime soon. I'll be back." The man was gone with a swish of his black robes.

Katrina sunk down, utterly defeated. She felt so alone and helpless, more helpless than she had ever felt in her entire life. She had always been independent; as an Air Force brat, she always moved from place to place, never establishing roots. Because of this, she matured much faster than those around her. She also didn't have a lot of friends either; after all, she was going to leave them eventually.

However, that didn't stop her from being constantly optimistic and with a sense of humor. But now she felt so cold, so alone. She closed her eyes, hoping to get some rest before he came back to begin the torture anew.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_ Katrina found herself standing in front of a large tablet, a massive dragon carved into the umber colored stone. It was the Blue Eyes White Dragon, one of the most iconic creatures in the game of Duel Monsters. Ironically, she never really did have an affinity for the beast, she liked the Red Eyes Black Dragon and Slifer the Sky Dragon more. And yet here she was, standing in front of the beast._

_ "Do not be afraid of the power," a voice told her. It came from everywhere and nowhere. "This is what you were meant for."_

_ "A giant rock, oh whoopie," Katrina remarked sarcastically._

_ "No my child, I am not talking about the rock, I'm talking about the dragon itself."_

_ "I'm not sure I get it,"_

_ "In the days of ancient Egypt, certain people contained the spirits of monsters inside of them. Some were evil, some were good, but they were very dangerous. In order to protect their citizens from these beasts, the Pharaohs had commanded that the creatures be sealed away and placed in sanctuaries across the empire, to be accessed when needed. The Blue Eyes was one of these creatures, though it was at the cost of a young girl's life and love."_

_ "Tragic," Katrina muttered._

_ "Very much so. Like the young girl, you too possess the power."_

_ "So let me get this straight. People in ancient Egypt were possessed by monsters and now I am too."_

_ "Not exactly. You control the Dragon, it doesn't control you ." The voice began to fade. "Use the power wisely, but always be wary of the price it tolls."_

_ "Wait! Who are you?" Katrina cried out to the rapidly fading scene._

_ "I was once the original wielder of the Blue Eyes. I am Kisara."_

_ The scene turned to darkness, leaving her alone again._

_XXXXXXXXXXXX_

Katrina jerked awake, the dream coming back to her in an instant. Was this the power the kidnapper was talking about? This Blue Eyes White Dragon supposedly living in her?

"Ah, I see you're awake," her torturer had returned. "Have a nice nap?" Katrina glared daggers at him. He ignored her and pulled the blade out. "Now, where were we?" he slid the knife along her jawline and she finally screamed.

And deep in her soul, something roared out in pain as well.

** Ooh, that was brutal. And it's all coming together! Yay!**

And yes, I did a YGO: TAS reference in there. Did y'all get it XD


	13. Chapter 12: To Break Free

Chapter 12: To Break Free

The trip back to the dig site was conducted in silence, Kaiba the quietest of all. He blamed himself for the whole fiasco involving Katrina, after all, it was his actions that pushed her away. He made a secret promise to himself to apologize to Katrina once they found her.

Unfortunately for Kaiba, he wouldn't get the chance to apologize to her for a while. After searching the entire site, there was still no sign of her. She had officially gone missing. The three were now sitting in the tent, mulling over what little options they had left. The tent was shrouded in silence as their hearts were heavy. Someone entered the tent.

"It's you," Ishizu spoke to the stranger. "The 'Lady of Flame'."

The woman nodded. She was dressed in a robe the shade of fresh blood. She still wore the collar necklace and her spear was still in her hands. "Yes. I heard about your friend going missing. You have my condolences."

"We don't need your stupid words," Kaiba growled. "We need to find her."

"I understand. From what my comrades have provided me, she has been kidnapped by a group that wishes to activate the Third Key."

"The Third Key?" Marik asked.

"It is one of the three Keys needed to open Seth's tomb and retrieve the Dagger of Anubis."

Marik still looked confused until Ishizu whispered, 'later' to him.

"Well if you know who has her, why haven't you gone after her?" Kaiba snarled.

"Because we don't know where she is," she calmly explained. "And unless you have a way of finding her, they will have managed to activate the Third Key and are one step closer to the Dagger."

"This dagger," Marik began. "Why is it so important to this group?"

"Because with the Dagger of Anubis, they can finally release their gods, Apophis and Tiamat."

"The Egyptian and Babylonian gods of chaos," Ishizu said.

"Exactly. So we need to find her as soon as possible to prevent it from happening."

Kaiba furrowed his brow, thinking. His eyes wandered over to his laptop and he suddenly had an idea. He snatched it up and turned it on. "Marik, I need her cell number." he demanded.

"Why?"

"Because nearly all phones nowadays have some sort of tracking device in it. If her phone is one of them and it's on, I can find her location."

"Of her phone, yes. But not her exactly." The priestess explained.

"But it's a risk I'm willing to take.' Marik gave Kaiba the cell number and he furiously began to type away, hacking into a program that would allow him to track her. After a half hour of typing, he managed to get it. "Got it!" he flipped the laptop screen around to show them the map.

"The jeep's still outside!" Marik shouted. The four ran out to the jeep and piled in, each praying it wasn't too late.

"I will inform the others of the location. If they can reach it before we can, then we'll have the advantage," the priestess informed them. "And we'll probably most definitely need it."

XXXXXXXXXX

Katrina screamed as the knife cut into the flesh of her jaw, the blood dripping down and mingling with her other wounds, the long thin cut along her collarbone. The scream died down to a whimper. The man laughed. "Looks like I finally got my scream. Now the real fun can begin."

Something inside her came to life as he said those words and she felt renewed. White hot energy ran through her veins as she shouted. "Oh no you don't!" Katrina managed to twist her body away and kick him in the stomach. His breath rushed out of him in a whoosh. He snarled in anger and struck her across the face, into her eye socket, again. She could tell that she was going to have a whooper of a shiner in the morning. The energy surged through her body and she felt something break free, as if a part of her soul broke away. The acolytes who were in the chamber backed away from Katrina, their eyes wide with fear. The man did so as well, but he was laughing in triumph.

Hovering above Katrina was the Blue Eyes White Dragon, its ethereal wings curled protectively around Katrina. Lightning crackled up and down the beast, filling the air with the scent of ozone. It filled a good portion of the chamber with its bulk; it had to have been at least sixty feet long from nose tip to tail tip. The wings were even longer, with a span of about a hundred feet. Its blue eyes glared balefully at those who had kidnapped Katrina, who had fainted on the floor, her energy spent.

"Yes, yes!" the man crowed in triumph. "The Third Key has been activated! The Dagger will soon be mine!"

The dragon roared, angered that its host had been harmed. Many of the acolytes fled the room in fear; a few of them had even wet themselves in the process. Only their leader stayed, basking in the glow of the beast, but even he too began to back away as the beast lunged, white claws flashing.

Bright light filled the chamber as Seto, Marik, Ishizu, the priestess, and her comrades filled the room. Seto's jaw dropped in amazement as he saw the Blues Eyes curled protectively around the now fainted Katrina. "Stop right there! " The priestess shouted. "You'll pay for what you did!"

He cackled in laughter. "Just you and your weak gods try and stop me!" he shouted words of magic and smoke began to swirl around his feet, and eventually obscuring his body from view. "And by the way, it was good to see you again _Master Marik," _the last two words were in a sneer. He was then gone, literally vanishing into thin air.

Marik looked like he was going to be ill. "No way," he whispered. "No freaking way."

The priestess turned to him. "You know him?"

"Yes. When I ran the Rare Hunters, he was one of my top men, the few that weren't under the power of the Millennium Rod. When the group disbanded after Battle City, those that were under my control pretty much went back to their normal lives, not remembering what they did during that time. The others, like him, had dropped off the radar. I guess now I know what he's doing during this time. His name is Derrick Salazar." Marik felt like a piece of garbage. Even now, his actions from so long ago were still being felt.

Kaiba ran to Katrina, who was lying on the cold stone floor. The gorgeous red dress was ruined, with rips and tears in the satin fabric and blood stains. He noticed the cuts to her face and upper chest. "She needs medical attention right away!" He shouted. The priestess's comrades ran to her, one of them carrying a small first aid kit. They offered to carry her out of the chamber, but Kaiba refused their offer and said, "Let me." He picked her up, bridal style, and carried her out of there, his jacket becoming stained with her blood. She felt light as a feather.

And no one said a word when they saw a tear form in his cold blue eyes.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kaiba sat in silence as Katrina rested, her chest rising and falling gently. Despite the outward appearance, the wounds were not as horrific as they had first thought; only the long cut across the collarbone required stitches. Her face was bruised and her wrists were raw where the manacles rubbed. It had been over eight hours since the rescue and she was still unconscious, though the site's doctor had determined that she was now sleeping.

Meanwhile Ishizu and Marik were talking. Ishizu was going to spend the night with the boys, to give Kaiba and Katrina privacy. She suspected that a lot needed to be said between them.

"So let me get this straight, this Dagger has the power to sever the soul from the body, and Derrick is trying to get the Dagger so he can summon Apophis and Tiamat," Marik was saying. Ishizu nodded.

Then Marik made a connection. "Wait a sec, remember the guy that attacked you, asking about the Dagger? That must have been Derrick then."

"Or one of his acolytes."

"Either way, he was behind your attack. But if this Dagger is so important to him, why hasn't he gone after it by now?"

"Because he needed the Third Key," Ishizu explained. "Katrina was his Third Key, and since she summoned the Blue Eyes, he now has what he had been wanting the whole time."

"Which isn't good for us," The priestess interrupted, walking in them.

"Well duh." Marik said. Ishizu elbowed him in the side, reprimanding him without the use of words. "Sorry about that," he apologized, chagrined.

"It's fine, I understand."

"By the way, what's your name? Ishizu said that you were known as the 'Lady of Flame', but that can't be your real name."

"My name is Aria, but my fellow members call me by my title."

"Oh."

"I must be going now. Preparations must be made," The priestess left, her red robes brushing on the sand.

"She has the weirdest timing," Marik remarked.

"No kidding," Ishizu agreed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Derrick was in the sanctuary of his complex, a series of underground chambers under the streets of Cairo. The blasted priestess and her companions had only found a few of the chambers, not all of them. He leaned back in his chair, feeling triumphant. The girl had activated her _ka _and now, the tomb should open to him. Unfortunately, he couldn't get the Dagger himself. Only the 'two lovers' from the verse could get it. He would have to wait a while. Either that or he'll have to force them too.

He murmured an incantation under his breath, a spell designed to reveal what he wanted to see. The image of the tomb's door was in his mind's eye, the rough-hewn stone standing out against the sandstone cliffs. In the center of the door were three markings, one of a wadjet eye, the second was the double crown of ancient Egypt, the third was a roughly carved image of a the Blue Eyes, the smooth contours of its head giving it away. The Wadjet eye was glowing, as was the double crown-

-But not the dragon.

"What!" he gasped. "It cannot be! I saw the dragon! I know I saw it!" Yet the image was as dull as the surrounding stone. But then it hit him; not all the requirements were fulfilled. The dance didn't go as planned. Even the drunkard he had there didn't work. He groaned, his face in his hands. His plan had failed. He paused as he thought that. Maybe it didn't. The events that had occurred affected the two's dynamics with each drastically; perhaps there was still a chance. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time. The were only two more weeks until the Eclipse, the time when the boundaries were the weakest. It was the best chance he had.

Only two weeks for the two to fall in love.

XXXXXXXXXX

Aria, High Priestess of Sekhmet, knelt before the shrine dedicated to her goddess. She had failed her, failed to prevent the activation of the Third Key. The tomb was now open. "I'm am so sorry Sekhmet," she whispered in the dimly lit room. "I have failed you. I failed to prevent the Keys from activating. The tomb is now open, exposing the Dagger to the world."

"Sometimes my child," a voice told her. "There are some things you cannot prevent." Aria turned to find Sekhmet, her goddess, standing behind her, hands behind her back. Her leonine eyes shone concern for the young girl. Sekhmet was dressed in a crisp linen dress. A gold belt studded with carnelian and turquoise held the dress closely around the goddess's waist.

Aria knelt before her. "Lady of Slaughter," she said reverently.

"Do not bow before me, I do not have time for begging forgiveness. What's done is done. The tomb may be open, but there's enough time to prevent the world from becoming cloaked in eternal darkness.

"Lord Anubis has informed me that it it time to get his Dagger back. After not having it for five thousand years, he finally has decided that he wants it again, took him long enough. Ra has ordered for the Dagger to be returned to the gods; it is the only safe place it can be, away from mortals who desire the power. The Eclipse is the best time for us to retrieve it, when the boundaries between man and god are at their thinnest, when we'll have the easiest time retrieving it."

"But we were commanded to protect it, along with the treasures of the Valley," Aria protested. "And besides, they'll have an easier time to get it as well."

"Sometimes, it's best to just step aside and let the gods take over. It is for the best anyway. Plus, we have safeguards in place to prevent to worst form happening."

Aria bowed her head. "Yes."

Sekhmet placed a hand on her priestess's shoulder. "Do not feel ashamed in any way. You have done your duty well in my eyes and that should be the only thing that matters. You have been one of my most faithful and powerful priestesses I've had. You should be proud."

"Yes ma'am."

" But now we must face the challenge of retrieving the Dagger, and they will need your guidance. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. When the time comes, you will know what to do." Sekhmet turned and walked away, leaving Aria alone at the shrine. Her goddess was right; while the tomb may now be open, but the Dagger must still be protected at all costs. Even if it meant giving up her own life.


	14. Chapter 13: Redemption of The Heart

Chapter 13: Redemption of The Heart

**Warning: I am not known for writing mushy, romantic scenes. So please, do not despair over the lack of mushiness, well there is some in there, but not an insane overload in which you sprout cavities by the sappiness of it all. I prefer the relationship build up between two characters XD. And that's how I roll yo lol. **

It was about 10:00 pm when Katrina finally woke up, her eyelids fluttering weakly as her blue eyes opened. She slowly sat up, rubbing her head. "Aw man, I feel like I just got pummeled by a steamroller," she moaned.

"Good to see you're finally awake," Kaiba greeted her. "How are you feeling?"

"You sound like a therapist," Katrina joked. "I'm fine," she lied, the events from the previous night coming back to her like a flood.

Kaiba tilted his head, one eyebrow raised. "Don't lie to me Katrina. You're not alright. I can tell."

Katrina's facade collapsed as she began to sob softly. "It was so scary," she whispered. "I thought I was going to-" she broke down and she clung to Seto tightly, sobbing into his chest.

Seto was surprised by the gesture, but he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close; it was the least he could do. "Shhh," he comforted. "It's okay now, I promise. It's going to be okay." As she wept, he realized that he would have never done this for anyone else, his brother yes, but no one else. It was then he made a startling realization, one that shook his very core.

He was in love with her, plain and simple.

Everything Marik had told him was true; she challenged him, made him see things in a different view, even though she probably never intended too. he didn't have to worry about her as a rival; she didn't even play Duel Monsters so that wasn't going to be any sort of rivalry between them. She was the fire to his ice. She changed him, and she didn't even try to.

It was another hour or so when Katrina's sobs died away, her throat feeling like sandpaper and her eyes puffy and red, the redness enhancing the deep blue irises even more.

"Better?" Seto asked.

"A little. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For, you know, being there. And finding me."

"It's fine. I used your cell number to track you down. Marik was the one who had it."

"How did you do that?"

"I'm a master computer hacker. I can do a lot of things with just my laptop."

"So you're like Neo."

"Who?"

"You've never seen 'The Matrix?" Katrina gasped dramatically

"If I did, I probably fell asleep during it."

"That's understandable. It's a long movie to sit through. Maybe one of these days I'll make you sit down and watch it."

" Oh goodie."

"Your sarcasm is duly noted." Katrina then realized that she was no longer in her dress; instead, she was clad in her pajamas, a tank top and a pair of lounge pants with Eeyore's all over it. She flushed at the fact that someone had to have changed her.

"Ishizu was the one that changed you," Kaiba said, noting her embarrassment.

"Oh." she looked down at her feet, which were in a pair of thick fuzzy socks. "By the way, did anyone ever find my shoes?"

"Your shoes."

"Yeah my shoes. I took them off at the dance 'cause they were a pain."

"After everything you've been through, you want your shoes?"

"They were some pretty darn expansive shoes."

Kaiba felt an unfamiliar tug at his face and Katrina gave him an odd look. "What?"

"You're smiling." Katrina beamed. "Not a trademark Seto Kaiba smirk, but an honest to goodness smile. You should do it more often, you have a really nice smile. Cute dimples too." her hand flew to her mouth as soon as she said that. She was even more red than before, if it were possible. "Sorry," she mumbled through her hand, flustered. "I shouldn't have said that."

Kaiba suddenly tilted her head up, forcing her to look directly at him. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Checking on your cut," he stated, his eyes boring into hers, not even glancing at the wound. "No sign of infection." he murmured, his thumb gently grazing her jawline, eliciting a shiver down Katrina's spine.

"Well, that's good," she stammered, her heart racing.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night. I think I might have pushed you too far."

"You didn't push me anywhere. I was the one who ran from you."

"Why did you run?"

Katrina wanted to crawl into a very small hole and die. "It's sort of hard to explain really-"

"Try me. I heard some crazy stuff before."

"I-I was frightened."

"Of what?"

_"Aw dang it Kaiba! Why THAT question! _Of you."

"That sounds a little ridiculous."

"Yeah, it does, now that I think about it."

Kaiba's thumb moved up to the corner of her mouth. "Very, ridiculous." He gave her a light kiss on the lips, the touch barely there. "See? That wasn't too bad," he teased.

_"Says you," _his touch set all of Katrina's nerves on high alert, like they were on fire. "But that's not what I meant."

"Explain."

" I have had a bad luck streak when it comes to men, that's all."

"And you think it'll happen with me."

"Err..."

"I can assure you that it won't. I'm not like most people."

"You run a company and you're not even legal drinking age. Of course you're not like most people." she said, smiling.

"That's not what I meant."

_"Oh boy._"

He leaned closer to her. "I will never hurt you in any way, shape or form. And if anyone does, they will regret it."

"Really?" she whispered, hoping he wouldn't catch the tremor.

"Really," he pulled her in for another kiss, no longer caring about anything else, just her.

They broke away after a few heart-stopping moments reluctantly. Katrina was stunned, as if somebody had shot her with a tranquilizer. If someone had had told her that she was going to end up kissing Seto Kaiba as an early Christmas present, she would have laughed in their face, manically. _"Did that just happen?" _she wondered, pinching herself to check if it was a dream. "Ouch."

"Why did you just pinch yourself?"

"To see if I'm dreaming."

"You have got to be one of the most interesting people I have ever met."

"And you love me for it anyway," she kidded.

"Yes, yes I do."

And he meant every word of it.

XXXXXXXXXXX

It was some time late in the morning when Ishizu crept in, coming in to grab a couple of things. She smiled as she saw the scene before her. Katrina was asleep, with Seto Kaiba watching over her like an obscenely rich guardian angel. He was gently stroking her platinum blond tresses, his long fingers running through them. Thanks to the small table lamp that was on, Ishizu could see the expression on his face. It was of affection and compassion, an expression she had never seen on his face until now. His eyes were soft and caring as he watched her sleep. He didn't even notice Ishizu until she bumped her shin into the leg of her cot. She hissed in pain as the short metal pole collided with her shin. Seto looked up.

"Sorry about that," Ishizu apologized.

"It's fine," Seto replied, his eyes still on Katrina.

"Has she woken up?"

"A little while ago. We talked for a bit, then she was hungry so she made a bowl of microwave popcorn. It seems that she has a taste for spicy food, she poured Tabasco Sauce all over it." He could still taste the spiciness of her kiss when she kissed him goodnight a little bit ago.

"Is that all you did, 'talk'? Ishizu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What makes you think otherwise?"

"The look on your face as you're watching her sleep. It obvious that you care deeply for her, romantically I presume?"

"You and your brother have a terrible tendency to make assumptions about my 'love life'."

"Only because it's painfully obvious Seto Kaiba. It's not like you're going to ruin your reputation by loving someone."

"You know she leaves in February, right? Its hard to love someone who lives God knows how far away."

"So you're admitting you love her then?"

"And what if I am?"

"Then I'm very happy for you Seto Kaiba." Seto turned from Ishizu to study Katrina's face, silent. Ishizu continued. "You know, there is no shame in loving someone, so don't be afraid of showing it."

"What makes you think I am?"

"You lived with a wall around your heart your entire life, caring for no one else, except for your younger brother, Mokuba. Then someone comes along and turns everything upside down, forcing you to break down those walls around your heart. You have never shown any sort of outward feelings whatsoever and now you're faced with the unknown, loving someone who isn't family. You're afraid of the unknown, especially with feelings like this. So just take the plunge and dive in the waters, not fearing of the consequences."

Seto Kaiba was quiet, then he finally spoke. " But to dive in unknown waters could risk the chance of drowning you know."

"Then drown with a smile on your face."

"That had to be the sappiest and corniest thing to ever come out of your mouth."

Ishizu shrugged. "Oh well. Sometimes the corniest things can be the most profound." She grabbed her things and turned to leave. "Good night, Seto Kaiba."

"Whatever," he growled and went back to his watch. He could try to sleep, but after his conversation with Ishizu, it would have been impossible. Like she said, loving someone couldn't be that hard, right? he massaged his temples, trying to make sense of it all. For all of his life, he analyzed everything, seeing things with an eye of someone who believed logic was the answer to everything. The only thing he couldn't quite explain away was his love for his younger brother, but that was something he had long since gotten used to.

And now, this.

It confused him, these feelings he had. It was obvious she felt the same way, explained simply through her kisses. The feelings left him feeling terrified and exhilarated at the same time and Seto Kaiba was never frightened. He wished he could just explain it away, like he did with everything else, but this time, there was no explanation.

And that was the way he liked it.

XXXXXXXXXX

Aria kept her vigil on the tomb entrance, her golden green eyes staring intently at the still unlit dragon carving. It slowly started to glow like the others, letting her know that the Third Key had finally activated. She knew she wasn't able to keep the two from falling in love, it was plain to see that when he carried her out of the chamber, she had only hoped to prevent the girl's _ka _from awakening, but she had failed with that as well. The three carvings glowed with a soft golden light, which then brightened when the third one began to glow. There was a sudden flare, forcing Aria to shield her eyes. It then faded and a plume of dust shot out from under the tomb door, informing her that the tomb was now open.

"What now my goddess?" she asked to the midnight sky.

_"Wait," _Sekhmet informed her priestess. _"I will tell you when the time is right."_

"The Eclipse," Aria answered.

_"Yes, when the veil between our world and yours is the weakest. That is the time to retrieve the Dagger and return it to Anubis."_

"But what about the cult? It will be the best time for them too."

"_Have faith in my judgment, my priestess. I trust you to protect them as they go in."_

"I apologize for my lack of faith, Lady of Slaughter."

_"Do not beat yourself up. Any one in your shoes would be questioning themselves and their gods right now. The only difference between you and them is that you're smart enough to know when and when not to. So just wait, and I will tell you." _

Aria nodded and returned to the vigil. Despite her heavy eyelids and the bone deep tiredness, she had to keep watch, at least, until one of her fellow members came along. It wasn't long now, until the eclipse.

Less than two weeks to keep the world from falling into pieces

**So that's what I meant by 'implying' stuff,aka., the kissing scene. How ironic that even though I'm supposedly good at writing romantic scenes, I have very little personal experience in the matter (but according to my BFF, I'm really good at listening and giving relationship advice. Oh the life of a single person lol. But I'm okay with that. We've also determined that I intimidate men, so that's probably why XD. Blame the intelligence).**

**And it's insanely difficult to write Seto Kaiba with romantic tendencies without making him seem in character, just so you guys know. And to those who can easily, kudos to you... and tragically, I do not have the candy bar to share, because if I did, I would have eaten them instead. (I have an insane sweet tooth, especially for chocolate covered pretzels XD)**


	15. Chapter 14: The Threads Weave Together

Chapter 14: The Threads Weave Together

**So either this has to be the biggest coincidence ever, or something freaky is going on. While doing some looking around online, I read an article that there was to be a lunar eclipse. Now, this comes while I'm am writing this, which conveniently enough, has a (SPOILER ALERT) eclipse in it. Wait, that wasn't much of a spoiler alert due to the fact that an eclipse has already been mentioned. False alarm people, false alarm. My bad lol XD**

Derrick paced the stone floors of the chamber, waging a struggle with the voices in his head. It was getting closer to the eclipse and the dragon gods were getting impatient. The two had already botched up his plan once, by taking control of his body and forcing him to kidnap Katrina and torturing her in order to release the Blue Eyes White Dragon. That in itself had worked out for the best, but that was not the way he wanted to go.

_"Does subtlety even exist in those reptilian heads of yours?" _he wondered snidely. He was rewarded with a sharp pain in his head and he dropped to his knees, clutching his head in pain. It was bad enough with have the spirits of two dragon god living in your body, it was even worse when they still have remnants of their once mighty powers.

_"Do not quesssstion usssss!_" They hissed and he cried out in pain as they continued their torture. It was brutal, their inflictions of pain were. They had already done damage to his body already, by permanently changing the colors of his dark brown eyes. One was dark gold, evidence of Tiamat's influence, the other was completely black, with no distinction between iris and pupil; that was due to Apophis, lord of darkness and of the eclipse itself. _"The time issss approaching. Ssssooon, we shall be free from your pitiful vessssssal!" _

_"Only three more days," _Derrick reminded them once the throbbing pain had subsided. Oh well, that's what he got for housing the weakened spirits of two five thousand year old gods. _"Yesssss. The little priesssstessss will lead the three to the tomb and get the Dagger for ussss, sssince we cannot pull the blade out oursssselvessss. Then we sssshalll sssstrike."_

_ "I'll get my reward then, right?"_

_ "Oh, yessss. You ssshall be rewarded for your faithfullnesssss."_

_ "Good, because I'm tired of having you live in my head. It's like 'The Exorcist', except with gods instead of demons, though from my point of view, there's not much of a difference." _The gods ignored him.

He remembered the first time that they became a part of his spirit. It was shortly after the Rare Hunters had been disbanded. He wandered the streets of Cairo, oftentimes drunk and belligerent. He soon found himself a part of a cult, dedicated to the worship of Tiamat and Apophis, two gods the high priest thought were actually part of one being. _"How wrong he was about that one," _Derrick thought. Shortly after joining the cult as an enforcer, Derrick became a vessel for the gods during a ceremony, a duty that the high priest thought would be his. Shortly after that, Derrick killed the man in the middle of the ceremony, in order to disperse resentment. He then killed the late high priest's seconds. Derrick enjoyed that task, breaking necks like they were dry twigs.

The promise of power was too tempting for him and Derrick found himself creating an elaborate plan to summon one of the most powerful items in existence: The Dagger of Anubis.

And now, he was so close to it, he could practically feel the dagger in his hands, the power running through his veins.

"Master!" an acolyte burst in, his robes mussed up. "The Third Key has activated! The tomb is now open!"

Derrick stood up from his large chair. "Good good, but we cannot get it yet. We must wait, until the 'two lovers' from the verse get it for us."

"But Master, what makes you think that they will get it for us?"

"Because the mutt god Anubis wants it back. The best time for them to get it is during the Eclipse. When they go in and retrieve it, I'll be waiting."

"What makes you think that they'll listen to Anubis?"

"You have a horrible habit of questioning my judgment. But its simple really; one cannot refuse a god's commands."

The acolyte bowed. "I apologize Master."

"I don't have time for your groveling. Now go, leave me. I must start preparing for their arrival." The acolyte scurried out of the room, knowing who the word 'their' was referring to.

Apophis and Tiamat.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Aria maintained a watch on the tomb, increasing the number of sentries on the entrance, in order to prevent unwanted guests. She herself continued a watch, but lately she started to watch over the dig site, specifically Ishizu Ishtar, Seto Kaiba and Katrina Dawson, the three Keys.

Sekhmet had commanded her to prepare the three for their foray into the tomb; after all, only they could get the Dagger, no one else. She stood on an outcrop overlooking the dig site, the desert breeze ruffling her golden brown hair, the exact shade of her goddess's fur. It was a symbol of dedication to her goddess; when she became high priestess, her features changed, giving her a predatory and fierce look. The eye color and hair changes helped with that as well, making her look like a lioness in human form. She was dressed in the garb she wore when she visited Ishizu late that one night, it was cooler than her formal robes.

She lightly sprang off the cliff to land on one lower down, towards the direction of the campsite. Unfortunately though, it was the middle of the day and she would look suspicious, especially after Katrina's kidnapping. _"Lady of Flame, give me the power to become unseen and unheard, as your creature hunts on the plains. Grant me swiftness, like the hot desert wind that is your breath." _She prayed. She could feel her goddess's magic work in her, giving her the ability to pass unnoticed among those that work at the site, save for the three that she needed. _"Thank you." _She climbed down the rocks, the muscles shifting and rippling under her tanned skin. Once she made it down there, she would reveal herself.

And pray that they would listen to her.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Word had spread quickly around the campsite, probably much faster than it would have normally had thanks to Marik's penchant for blabbing, especially if it was good news. And in this case, it was.

Seto Kaiba was officially off the market, as so aptly put by Marik Ishtar. While they didn't actually say it, many considered Katrina and Seto an actual couple now. They didn't really show it in public, but it was plain to see by everyone at the site.

"_The paparazzi's going to have a field day with this one," _Seto thought as he typed on his laptop. Even though he was in Egypt, he still had company business to deal with, keeping the board of directors on a tight leash, especially since the last batch tried to kill him on numerous occasions. _"I can just see the headlines now, 'Seto Kaiba meets mysterious girl on a secret rendezvous in Egypt'. Oh goodie." _

"What are you frowning about?" Katrina asked, munching on a Snickers bar. Kaiba was always amazed at how much of a sweet tooth she had.

_"She must have the metabolism of a hummingbird. _Work," he answered, not taking his eyes off the computer screen.

"You really need to take a break from your laptop of yours," she said, placing her hands on the top of the screen. "Seriously. Take a vacay," she kissed him lightly on the forehead. "You need it."

"I thought this was one."

"Oh yes, if you consider kidnappings, real life Duel monsters, and who knows what else a vacation."

"I've had worse."

"Oh really now," she huffed, plopping down next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. "Tell me more."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Now that you mention it, yes."

Seto raised an eyebrow at her. "Trust me, you wouldn't believe half the stuff that I went through."

"Try me."

"Well-

"Ahem." Katrina squeaked in surprise and nearly fell off the already crowded cot. Regaining her senses, she glanced over at the tent entrance where the noise had come from. Standing in the doorway was a woman that Katrina didn't recognize, but Seto Kaiba did.

"You're that supposed priestess from the other night," he said.

"I can assure you that I am a priestess," she growled. Katrina sensed tension brewing between them. Something must have happened between them. She aimed to ask Seto about it later. "I came to talk to you two and to Ms. Ishtar. Do you happen to know where she is?"

Kaiba pointed outside. "Somewhere out there, I don't know. I don't have a GPS coordinates on her."

"You pretty much did on me," Katrina piped.

"It's called your cell phone my dear."

"I know that. I've watched plenty of crime dramas."

The priestess bowed. "Thank you, I'll be back in a few minutes. Please don't go anywhere while I'm gone." She left the tent, her bronze plated armor clinking.

"Alrighty then," Katrina proclaimed. "Who exactly was she?"

"She supposedly a priestess of the goddess Sekhmet. I met her on the night you went missing."

"Oh."

"In my opinion, she didn't do a whole lot to help, only claiming 'who' did it, but not where they were."

"Ah." As he began to close his laptop, Katrina noticed Seto's screensaver, a picture of him with another boy, younger, and with long black hair. The resemblance between the two was uncanny. "Who's that in the picture?" she asked him, curious.

"It's my younger brother Mokuba. He's back in Domino City right now."

"He looks a lot like you. Same eye shape and nose structure."

"Yes, he's the only family I got."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's fine. I've gotten over it a long time ago. Do you have any siblings?"

"Two. A younger brother and an older one. Well, I used to have an older one." She absentmindedly rubbed the tattoos on her wrist. "He died while serving a tour in Afghanistan. I got the tattoos here as an homage to him. He really loved Egypt."

"I'm sorry."

"As you've said, don't apologize for it. It is was it is. I still miss him though."

"I can imagine."

_"Trust me Seto, you have no idea." _She thought.

A few minutes later, the priestess was back, with Ishizu and Marik in tow. Marik was gawking at the priestess's choice of clothing; a lot of skin was visible on her lithe form. She gave Kaiba and Katrina a respectful nod and said:

"It's time."

** So, while running around YouTube, I found a video that's very funny XD. Remember the 'Leather Pants' vid? Well, someone made a video called 'Leather Shoes', based off of Lady Gaga's 'Telephone'. While it isn't a LK vid, it might as well be from him. It's very funny and sounds almost exactly like LK, plus CardGamesFTW put it on his favorites, so it has to be good. I highly recommend it, I found it by typing in, 'Yugioh the Abridged Series, 'Telephone'. It's by LucariosKlaw, in case you were wondering. Go watch it! Now. Seriously, its stuck in my head as I'm typing this lol**


	16. Chapter 15: Race Against The Eclipse

Chapter 15: Race Against the Eclipse

"For what?" Katrina asked, curious.

"To retrieve the Dagger." The priestess explained. "The Eclipse is in less than two days. We need to get it now before they do."

Katrina's expression was completely blank and the priestess realized that the girl was the only one out of the loop. "I'll explain it to you later," Kaiba whispered in her her ear.

"You better," she whispered back.

"Wait," Marik said. "If it's in two days, why are we getting it now?"

"As a safety precaution."

"That totally makes more sense now."

"When will we leave for it?" Ishizu asked.

"We leave tonight," the priestess, Aria, replied.

"I still feel totally confused," Katrina interjected.

"Okay, so basically, this 'Dagger' is an item of the gods and needs to be retrieved before some bad guys get the Dagger and summon their gods. You, Kaiba, and my sister are the only ones who can get it. That's why that guy kidnapped you, so he would force you to help him-"

"That dragon thing still freaks me out by the way."

"-So we need to get it before he does." Marik described.

"So you're telling me that we need to save the world essentially."

"Pretty much."

"Welcome to my world," Seto muttered under his breath.

"My comrades and I will take you to the tomb of Seth," Aria began, interrupting them. "Then you four will go in, with I as your rear guard. We will protect you with our lives." she bowed before the four.

"Wait," Kaiba said, causing Aria to stop. "What makes you think that I'm going to be going in there with you? I can think of a ton of different reasons to not go in there. This idea of yours is insane, pure and simple."

"You obviously have no grasp of the ramifications this item has, do you?"

" Then all the better to leave it alone. I have dealt with everything under the sun when it comes to 'magic' and 'destiny' and all of that other crap, and frankly, I would like to just stay out of it and leave it the heck alone for once. 'Let sleeping dogs lie', they say. I think it's time that we actually take that advice." Kaiba stood up from the cot. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving," he brusquely shoved his way past Aria, who shot him a dirty look.

"Don't worry about it," Marik reassured Aria. "He's always this way when it comes to things like this. He'll get over it, hopefully."

XXXXXXXXXXX

The desert air was bitterly cold as Seto Kaiba stormed out of the tent. He bundled his coat tightly around his lean frame, reminded of the extreme temperatures that the desert could reach. He weaved his way between tents and the other buildings that made up the site, until he reached the very edge, where the desert cliffs met the chaos of the tent city. He sat down, looking upward at the sky. He did have to admit, seeing the night like this was a pleasant change from the city scene. With the city, all he could see were only the brightest stars. Here, he could see every one of them.

Why did he end up in situations like this? All he wanted was to make his vivid dreams go away. He could have just gone to some kind of therapist, but no, he had to travel halfway around the world to become embroiled in a plot to destroy the world. He sighed, exasperated. Shortly after Yugi's 'other half'' went to the afterlife, Seto Kaiba made a personal vow that he would no longer get involved in stuff like this, for the sake for both his brother and his sanity. Now, he was breaking that vow, much to his consternation. He never broke a promise.

"Lovely night, isn't it?" someone said, breaking the peaceful silence that Seto was beginning to enjoy. Seto ignored him, but the stranger continued anyway. "So much better than the skies of the city. Too artificial in my opinion."

"Look, I was just enjoying some peace and quiet until you came along and I would like to have that back now, so could you kindly go away, before I do something I might regret?"

"My, aren't we touchy?" the stranger sat down next to him and from the corner of his eye, Seto got a look at him.

The stranger was dressed in a dark suit, very unusual in a desert setting like this. A golden band with a garnet inlaid rested on the stranger's left pointer finger. He had black hair the went to his shoulders, again, unusual for the outfit he was wearing, Amber eyes stared at the night sky, utterly engrossed in their beauty. The stranger's demeanor was one of a heightened awareness not seen on the average man.

"I wasn't, until you came along."

"Something's bugging you, isn't it?"

"What gave you that idea?" Seto replied sarcastically.

"Would you like me to make a list?"

"Just shut up, will you?"

"Fine, if you won't tell me, then I'll just guess. You're frightened, confronted by the thing that you promised to avoid. You can't run away from this forever. Times are changing, and you just happen to be one of the catalysts for it, something which you don't like.

"This isn't a Shadow Game, Seto Kaiba, where there was always a chance for those you care about to come back. This is real life, life and death, and once you cross that threshold, you can't come back. Yugi's little 'Shadow Games' are child's play compared to this. You can't escape your fate Seto Kaiba. The world is hurtling towards a confrontation that hasn't been seen in nearly five thousand years and you can't fight it anymore."

"Give that magic crap a rest, I already got enough of it from Ishizu and the 'nerd herd' at home."

The stranger shook his head. "You are so intelligent, yet so stubborn at the same time. You saw it happen all around you, yet you firmly hold on to your beliefs that it's all smoke and mirrors. You saw what happen to Katrina, how the Blue Eyes White Dragon came from her, the torture she went through in order for it to be summoned. Tell me, was that all 'smoke and mirrors'? And the dreams you've been having, is that all just an illusion too?"

"What do you know about my dreams?" Seto asked, a glint of hope in his tone.

"Enough to know that you wish for them to go away. Unfortunately for you though, the only to make them go away is to go through with this."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding? The only way they'll go away is for you to accept that this is real, not a so called 'illusion'. If you don't believe in 'saving the world', then do it for those you care about. Do it to protect Katrina and Mokuba from their wrath." The stranger stood up, brushing the sand and dirt from his dark clothing.

"Who are you exactly? I haven't seen you around here."

"You can call me, Dr. Jackell." He left Seto alone.

Seto frowned, trying to find ways to refute what 'Dr. Jackell' had told him. This trip really questioned his beliefs, his perceptions of reality as he knew them; he wasn't very happy about the change. But he did have a point. He saw what these events did to those around him. Maybe if they didn't go in, it could all just simply pass over and he would have nothing to worry about. At the same time, however, he knew that the mad man who tortured Katrina wouldn't stop just there. He wanted this 'Dagger' and he probably would do anything to get it, including doing even more damage than he already had done. He wouldn't be stopped until someone did it for him.

And like the man said, do it for Katrina and Mokuba, if not for everyone else. But he was tired from helping from saving the world, but it had to be done. He made his way back to the tent he was staying at, making up his mind.

He would help, but only to keep the ones he cared about from suffering.

But he would be metaphorically kicking and screaming all the way.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Katrina was afraid, something she didn't readily admit on an everyday basis. Here she was, just going on an expedition through her campus in order to advance her History degree, and now she found out that she was the center of a millennia old prophecy and a host to an ancient monster to boot. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind for this trip. It was just so much for her, too overwhelming. But it was the Blue Eyes White Dragon within her that frightened her the most.

The beast haunted her dreams, invaded every corner of her conscious like a white scepter. Heck, now that she thought about it, she looked like the human version of it, like God was playing a cruel game of coincidence. The beast clawed and clamored to be free, free of the confines of its human vessel. The last time it was invoked, it had nearly drained her of her strength and she fainted, due to exhaustion. She idly twirled a tendril of her hair, deep in thought.

Seto wasn't happy about running around the desert, trying to find this 'Dagger of Anubis', and to be honest, neither was she. She didn't want to be involved, intertwined with a destiny she didn't want to be a part of, but she couldn't fight it. While her logical side of her listed off a bunch of reasons why _not_ to run around in the desert, with the distinct possibility of running into that sadist from the chamber again, her more instinctual side had decided to go with them.

If she went with them though, she would most likely have to summon the Blue Eyes again, something she had no intention of doing anytime soon. She just wasn't strong enough to maintain that flow of power. If she did it again, it might even kill her, and she already had enough brushed with Death already.

"Troubled?" Ishizu asked. Marik and Aria had left the tent; Marik back to the tent with the rest of the guys, Aria presumably gone somewhere, making plans.

"A little," Katrina admitted. "It's just overwhelming, you know? Finding out you're the center of some ancient prophecy that could herald the end of the world as we know it, it's, rather disconcerting."

"I understand," Ishizu empathized, sitting down next to Katrina. Katrina's fears mirrored her own when she was a child, after she had gained the Millennium Necklace. All the visions, portends of the future, it was frightening too, but she overcame that fear, with the epiphany that it was far more vital to embrace the power, rather than shun it in cowardice. Not that Katrina was a coward, of course.

"Ishizu, can I ask you a question?"

"Go right ahead."

"How is it that you and Marik are so willing to go along with Aria and actually believe what she's saying? I mean, I believe her too, mostly. It's just so ludicrous, the whole situation."

"It's because Marik and I have dealt with things like this before. I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to keep it a secret for me, okay?

"When I was a child, Marik and I were part of a clan that served as Tombkeepers for one of the Lost Pharaohs. In our family line, we had two artifacts called the 'Millennium Items'. They had a great and ancient power, magic. I inherited the 'Millennuim Necklace', an item that could show me visions of the future, while Marik had the 'Millennuim Rod', one that could control minds, obliterate any source of will in that person. Because of these, he and I were constantly intertwined in situations like this. Seto Kaiba was too, but he refuses to believe it was real, all a man made hallucination in his head."

"Wait," Katrina interrupted. "There was something in that scroll we read one time about a 'Millennium Court'. Do your 'Millennium Items' have to do anything with them.?"

"Actually yes. The Items were created during the Sixteenth Dynasty, by one of the 'Lost Pharaohs. Those that wielded the Items were known as the 'Millennium Court'. They acted as judges for the Pharaoh, punishing the worst criminals."

"Does that mean that 'Shadow Monsters' are real too? They were mentioned too."

"They do. You house a 'Shadow Monster."

"Oh great, now the monster's evil too."

"Shadows and darkness do not always mean evil, just as light doesn't mean good," Ishizu reassured her.

Katrina mulled over what Ishizu told her, digesting the information. "Is there anyway you can prove this too me? Show me evidence?"

"I wish I could, but I surrendered my Item sometime ago. I no longer had a need for it. Marik gave up his too. That's why I'm considered one of the Keys. I used to be able to see the future, but now I can't, hence,' One who could once See, but no longer can'. Plus, you're living proof too, with your dragon."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. You believe her because you've dealt with it. I wish I could believe that easily. I always grew up with the belief that magic wasn't real, though I wished it did. Funny how now that it is real, I don't believe it. To be honest though, I'm scared by the Blue Eyes. It's so much power, it scares me. It nearly killed me the last time I used it, what will happen if I use it again?"

"I trust that you'll be able to control it."

"But what if I can't? Will it hurt me, me friends? What if it kills me?"

"Self doubt is the worst thing you could do right now. You are a brave young woman, with a strong and pure soul. You have the courage to go through with this. Besides, the 'what if's' are exactly what they are, 'if's' and only 'if's'. So do not worry about it now. You were meant to have this gift, no one else."

Katrina looked down at the dirt packed floor. "I guess you're right. Thanks."

Ishizu placed a hand on Katrina's back, the touch comforting to Katrina. "You're welcome. You should get some rest. It's late and we need all the sleep we can get." Ishizu stood back up and went to her cot, turning off the small table lamp that was on.

Katrina stared at the polyester fabric 'ceiling', unable to sleep. After an hour or so of thinking, her eyelids began to droop and she fell asleep, the Blue Eyes invading her subconscious once more.

XXXXXXXXXXX

After the conversation with 'Dr. Jackell' Kaiba went back to the tent, in search of some needed rest. The tent was black as pitch, making it difficult to find his way around. After banging his shin twice, once on each shin, he found himself at Katrina's cot somehow, glancing down at the woman. She was in a deep sleep, dreaming from the occasional twitches. Her face was contorted in panic and fear. Her hands held the sheets in an iron grip

_"Must be a nightmare," _ he thought. Unconsciously, he bent over and gave her a light kiss on the lips. The grip relaxed and her face started to lose the frightened expression. He brushed her cheek and went to his cot, moving the portable bed a little closer than usual, just in case.

XXXXXXXXXX

The five of them snuck out of the site the next night, carrying enough supplies to last them a couple of days. Aria had remained hidden while they waited to leave. Aria was surprised that Seto decided to come along; she was fearing that he wouldn't. Marik thought he had been switched out with a changeling, until Kaiba gave him 'the bird'. Marik was convinced after that.

They wound their way through narrow passes, secret ways into the Valley of the Kings. Limestone cliffs towered over them as they hiked underneath them. The moon, nearly full now, lit their way. The wind howled and whined as it passed through the narrow areas of the Valley, giving off a keening sound. It reminded Katrina of lost spirits, warning those to be wary and to turn back. The landscape had an almost ethereal appearance, thanks to the silver-white light of the moon overhead. The color of the landscape also reminded Katrina of the scales of the Blue Eyes, the shimmery scales like liquid metal.

The crisp night air had an ominous feel to it. She could feel the hairs on the nape of her neck rise at the thought of it. Subconsciously she moved closer to Seto Kaiba, taking comfort in his presence. Aria finally spoke:

"We're almost there. We just need to go over this crest." They made their way up a large rock face, going along a narrow trail. Seto Kaiba, who was near the rear of the line, felt something crack and give way under his weight. The limestone under his feet broke and fell down over a hundred feet, shattering on another cliff. Kaiba was suddenly aware of himself falling, until something grabbed onto his wrist. It was Katrina.

Her fingernails dug into the skin of his wrist as she hung onto him, preventing him from falling any further. "I got you!" she shouted through gritted teeth, as she struggled to pull him back up. A surge of adrenaline coursed through her and she managed to summon the strength to pull him up, enough so that he could pull himself the rest of the up.

Kaiba was back on the trail, on his hands and knees, limestone dust covering his body. "Thank you," he said.

"No prob. It's what I'm here for," Katrina responded. She offered him a hand up. "That's twice now, you know," she teased him. She handed him a canteen full of water. "Here, you dropped yours down there." Seto took a swig and handed it back to her.

"Are you alright?" Aria called out. Her, Marik and Ishizu were at the top of the crest when Seto nearly fell.

"We're fine," Katirna shouted back. "Just a misstep, that's all."

"Alright, we'll wait for you then."

Katrina and Seto made it to the others, careful of where they were stepping from now on. They had come across a small gorge, hidden within the labyrinth of the Valley. There was a small troop of people guarding a part of the area, but Katrina couldn't tell what they were protecting.

"Lady Scarlet!" one of the people yelled, addressing Aria by her title. "You have arrived just in time. Nothing has happen so far."

Aria met up with the troop, with the others a few steps behind her. "Good," she proclaimed. "Unfortunately though, things will get a little unusual around here." her members stepped aside for her, revealing a rough-hewn door in the rock face. Three symbols were carved in high relief onto the stone. One was a dragon, the double crown of Egypt, and the Wedjat Eye. The three—arranged into a triangle—were placed above a series of hieroglyphics. Ishizu read them out loud.

"_The Tomb of Seth, High Priest to Anubis and wielder of his lord's Knife"_

Underneath that was the prophecy that they had read on the scroll a while back.

"It looks like this is the place," Ishizu announced.

Aria nodded. "Hidden from the world for nearly five thousand years. I hope it will remain that way after we're through with it." With a shove she pushed the door open, releasing a plume of dust, causing everyone in the vicinity to cough.

"Welcome to the tomb, and may the gods have mercy on us all."

**Yes, I did get the name idea from the novel, _American Gods_, by Neil Gaiman. I hope he doesn't sue me to the ground lol. So basically, those of you who have read the book, you know who this character is, though I did change it from 'Mr.' to 'Dr.' and gave it a slightly different spelling XD.**


	17. Chapter 16: Into The Tomb Pt:1

Chapter 16: Into The Tomb Pt:1

**W00t! Only a few more chappies to go (yes you may cry now) But never fear, another plot bunny has attacked me and I'm in the planning stages of a SetoXKisara and JoeyXMai fic. It's AU and it has freaking superheroes in it! (that's what I get for watching a slew of superhero movies and reading my sibling's DC and Marvel Encyclopedias all at once... I think I've read them more than he has, and that's really sad) Cheesy sounding yes, freakin' SWEET... Heck yes!**

The tomb had a musty, stale scent to it as they entered it, the result of being sealed for nearly five thousand years.Katrina could feel her sinuses clogging up with the dust of five thousand years. It reminded her of PigPen, from the 'Peanuts' cartoon. The tomb's door shut behind them with a heavy thud, sealing them from the outside world. More dust was kicked up and as a result, Marik started having a coughing fit. Ishizu offered him water from the canteen and the fit soon subsided.

The room they were in was beautiful in its simplicity. It was a square shaped room, with four thick red pillars to support the heavy rock that composed the tomb. Beautiful high relief carvings adorned the walls, still as colorful as the day they were painted. Bright reds, blues, yellows and other colors gave the otherwise drab room some life. The pigments the comprised of the paintings managed to survive the ravages of time.

"Beautiful," Katrina murmured, walking towards on of the wall paintings, one depicting a young man with a woman, with white hair and blue eyes. "funny," she said. "The man looks a lot like you Seto." Her hand went to touch the man on the wall. The resemblance between the two was uncanny. And the woman with him,... "She looks a lot like me, except with longer hair."

"Now that's a little freaky," Marik exclaimed, a hint of awe in his voice.

"We need to get going," Aria said curtly. "We don't have much time."

"Sorry about that," Katrina apologized.

The room had an exit, a post and lintel structure, the winged cobra, the symbol of Wadjet, was painted over the entrance in golds, blues and reds. Two black granite statues of Anubis flanked the entryway, their grim visages staring down at them. Marik was about to enter when Aria stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.

"Wait!" she cried out. "We don't know what's in there!"

Marik peeked in. "Looks pretty safe to me."

"She's right," Ishizu explained. "Many tombs in the later dynasty were known for their traps, preventing would be tomb robbers from pillaging the place empty."

Marik quickly ducked his head back in, in case some trap was just waiting for him. He absentmindedly rubbed his throat, grateful that Aria and Ishizu caught that in time.

"Well, we can't just sit here then," Kaiba growled. "I would like to be out of here as soon as possible."

"Right," Aria nodded. "If I recall right, there was a riddle/prophecy that gave hints as to how to make it through the complex."

"Wait, I think I know what you're talking about," Ishizu was known for her excellent memory, oftentimes able to memorize something after reading it once; this case was no different. She cited it, the poem from the scroll so long ago.

"_Lead with your Heart,_

_Pray on your knees,_

_Five thousand year lovers,_

_To set the Dagger free."_

"I can't make heads or tails of it though," Ishizu said forlornly.

"Shame," Aria replied. "We'll just have to trust our instincts."

"Well, are we just going to sit here or what?" Katrina asked sharply.

"I'm not exactly in the mood to get my head or other appendages sliced off tonight," Marik then had an idea. He tossed his torch along the floor, the torch skittering and sliding across the cold stone floor. It came to a stop, lighting the next chamber with a fiery glow. It was a large hallway, statues of various god lining the walls; all bore some kind of edged weapon.

"Brilliant idea!" Ishizu nodded approvingly.

"Thanks sis,"

"Sooo, who wants to go first? Not me," Katrina stated.

XXXXXXXXXX

Astren stood in silence as he and his other followers of Sekhmet maintained a watch over the tomb. The door had closed again, denying access to him the the others. His high priestess was in there and it worried him, not knowing whether she was alive or not. There was a sudden cry westward of his position and he whirled away from the door, trying to find the source. There was then another, and another. The sentries who were posted on the outer edges of the gorge were under attack.

He pulled out his heavy curved knife and his pistol; even though his high priestess was not allowed to carry any modern weapons, it didn't mean that he couldn't. A plume of dust was heading for he and the other followers; it was hard to make out at first, but the could see shapes that looked a lot like horses. Shots rang out around him and he saw many of his companions go down; evidently their opponents had rifles and other long range projectiles. Astren aimed his handgun and fired into the plume, which was coming closer at a rapid pace. A horse whinnied out in pain and fell, crushing its rider in the process.

Astren felt despair gnaw away at his core; there were simply to many of them. But he was a follower of Sekhmet, goddess of war and ferocity, he wasn't going to go down that easily. He fired off a few more shots into the group; with them so clustered together in the way they were, he knew he had to have hit one or two of them. More shots rang around him as his comrades fired away as well. Maybe there was some hope after all.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be the case.

There was a sudden blast of hot air, knocking him to his knees and he could feel sand in his eyes, effectively blinding him. He rubbed it away as best as he could and tried to let off another shot. But there was one problem: his gun wasn't firing. He glanced at it to discern the problem. The safety was off and there were still bullets in the magazine; however, it still wasn't firing. He felt a chill go down his spine. In that blast of hot air, there must have been some magic in it as well, disabling all of their guns. He flipped the gun around so that he was holding the barrel, the grip of the gun now becoming a makeshift club. He charged, screaming at the top of his lungs, his goddess's name on his lips as he rushed headlong into the melee.

XXXXXXXXXX

The hallway was broad and long, stretching at least fifty yards, if not more. Aria volunteered to go first in the line, then followed by Ishizu, Kaiba, Katrina, and lastly, Marik. Katrina and Seto Kaiba were considered the most valuable of the group, and therefore, the most at risk. Because of that, the couple were forced to go in the middle of the line.

Their footsteps echoed in the expansive hallway, where they were dwarfed by massive bronze statues of various Egyptian gods. Katrina identified Anubis, Horus, Set, Maahes, Bast and Osiris; she couldn't identify the others. The statues looked to be mechanical, judging by the way their joints were made. As Aria stepped forward, a stone under her right foot gave way slightly. There was an audible 'click' and they froze. Aria went on alert, her spear poised to face any foe. The room was filled with groans and creaking; the bronze statues were coming to life.

"Freaking fantastic," Marik mumbled.

XXXXXXXXXX

Astren charged into the group of invaders, his makeshift club and heavy knife swinging. Screams of pain and agony echoed around him as he slashed and swung. Suddenly, there was a searing pain in his side and he instinctively placed a hand there. Blood trickled through his fingers and he felt the wooden shaft of a spear in his left side. He sank to his knees, the edges of his vision going blurry and fading to black.

"Looks like I shishkabobed one of her little acolytes," a familiar voice chuckled darkly. Astren recognized the voice from the chamber. It was the leader of Apophis and Tiamat's cult. There was a sickening tug as the man pulled the spear out from Astren's side. Derrick bent down to look at him at eye level; Astren's normally dark skin tone was taking on a sickly pallor due to blood lose. "Where is she?" he asked menacingly, Astren's blood dripping from his spear.

Astren spat in his face for his response. Derrick snarled and impaled him once again, sliding the now fresh corpse off the haft. "Finish the rest of them off," he commanded. Derrick's acolytes and associates did it with glee.

XXXXXXXXXX

The two dozen or so statues groaned to life, their mechanical joints creaking. They were about fifteen feet tall, wielding weapons about the same height as well. The stomped towards the group, their steps jerky and slow.

"Ah, son of a gun," Katrina cursed. "I so did not expect this."

They slowly backed away from the mechanical beings, Aria holding her spear in front of her, the steel head of her weapon gleaming in their torchlight.

The statue of Horus swung his khopesh down at the group, which caused them to separate. Ishizu took a misstep and she fell, twisting her ankle as she did so. She cried out in pain, clutching her wounded ankle. Marik grabbed Ishizu under her shoulders and dragged her away from the fight, leaving Katrina, Seto and Aria alone to face the beings.

Katrina and Seto spent most of their time dodging the weaponry of their statues. "There has to be a way to stop these things!" Katrina shouted to Seto, dodging a glaive like weapon wielded by a statue of Maahes. "If there's an 'on' switch, there has to be an 'off' switch!"

Seto ducked under a pendulum blade. "I don't exactly see it!"

An ax blade crashed in between them, separating the two of them. Katrina found herself backed up against an alcove, where the statues rested before they came to life. Her heart raced and sweat poured down like bullets. She was so helpless. She had no sort of weapons she could wield against these things and she was effectively pinned. A statue of Maahes lumbered towards her, glaive in the air, ready to swing down on her.

_"Use your _ka,_" a girl's voice said in her head, the same one from that dream in the chamber._

_"Kisara?"_ Katrina asked, remembering the girl's name.

_ "Yes. Use the power of the Blue Eyes."_

_"But what if something happens? What if I hurt my friends? What if I hurt myself?"_

_ "Don't be afraid of it's power. It is there to help you, not harm you."_

_ "But..."_

_ "Don't be afraid...,"_ Kisara's voice faded from her head.

_"Wait! Come back!" _ Katrina was alone again and not even close to finding a solution to their problem. She recalled Kisara's advice and she shrugged. "Well, there's no time like the present." she urged to power to be released, stroking the fury of the Blue Eyes White Dragon as it were a fire. She felt it surging through her core and she pushed it even further. She suddenly felt a break and she knew that she had done it.

The Blue Eyes White Dragon hovered over her and Katrina found herself seeing the room through the eyes of the dragon _"That's new," _she thought, but she took advantage of it. The mentally commanded the Blue Eyes to attack the statue of Maahes coming at her. The dragon grasped onto the glaive, its scythe-like claws stopping it in its tracks. She then commanded it to coil its tail around the bronze legs and squeeze. The bronze plating crumpled like a soda can, the gears within popping and shattering. The force of the tail broke the legs off and it fell to the ground, the ten foot long glaive clattering from its hands.

Meanwhile, Aria waged her own war, dipping and dodging the weapons of a statue of Horus. There was a sound of metal shearing metal as her spear head sheared through one of the bronze legs. The thin protective metal of the bronze gave way, as did the gears and mechanisms underneath the protective coating. The Horus statue collapsed, a leg shorn off from the knee down. Kaiba seized the opportunity and made a grab for the dagger Horus was holding, though in Seto's hands, it was more like a hand-and-a-half sword. He hefted it up and swung the blade like a huge scythe, with barely little control, sinking the dagger/sword into the side of a statue of Osiris, the bronze plating crumpling under the the force as if it were aluminum foil.

Marik watched all of these event transpire while protecting his sister, who was unable to fight. Therefore by default, the solution of stopping the mechanical beings had fallen to him.

"Lead with your heart, lead with your heart, lead with your heart," he chanted to himself, hoping to find an answer within the words, a riddle solving trick he learned from Odion He couldn't find an answer in the words. _"Come on, there has to be something." _he rubbed his left shoulder, his nervous tic when he was thinking. It came to him. "Of course! That's it! But now that we figured that part out, where then, is the 'off' switch?" he furtively looked around, trying to find something. His lavender eyes widened with surprise as he spied a statue of the Pharaoh Seth at the end of the hall. It too was composed of bronze like the other one, but he was sitting in a throne, not moving. Marik dashed towards the sitting statue, weaving and bobbing between the moving beings.

"Marik!" Ishizu yelled. "What are you doing!"

"Saving our skins!" he exclaimed as he started to climb the statue of Seth, which was about fifteen feet tall, like the others. He looked at Seth's torso, looking for some sort of device to turn them off. He found it, over the heart. He slammed his palm into the device, praying that his harebrained idea actually worked. The room came to a standstill as the statues slowed, then stopped.

The Blue Eyes faded and Katrina sank to her knees, panting and exhausted. Seto released the hilt of the dagger/sword and Aria pointed her spear downward, a thin sheet of bronze still on the spear tip.

"How on earth did you do that?" Seto asked.

"It was the phrase 'Lead with your heart'. In ancient Agypt, the heart was considered the most important organ, where the thought processes were and the source of life, oftentimes leaving it in the body during the mummification. So figuratively, if you wanted to shut them 'off', aka 'kill' them, the switch would logically be in the left side, where the heart was."

"That has to be the most obscure, yet ingenious solution you have thought of," Katrina praised.

"Um, thanks, I guess."

Aria went to Ishizu's side and lifted her up, supporting the bum ankle. "We need to get going. The Eclipse is coming closer and closer."

"Right," Seto helped Katrina up and supported her weight as well; she was nearly spent thanks to the summoning of the Blue Eyes. "On to the next one then."

"Yippie," Katrina said. "That one better be easier and that's all I have to say."

XXXXXXXXXX

The bodies of Sekhmet's followers were strewn across the valley,vultures and other scavengers already starting to investigate the scene. Derrick lost a handful of his followers as well, but not nearly as many as the defenders. He stood in front of the tomb door and gave it a shove. It refused to budge and he shoved it again, this time opening the heavy door a crack.

_"Do it!" the dragons hissed. "Go in now!"_

Derrick clenched his hands in pain, trying to fight off their urgings. As it got closer and closer to the Eclipse, Derrick could feel the dragon gods struggling to break free of their host. It grew to be more and more painful as time passed, almost to the point where he was tempted to take powerful painkillers like morphine and Vicodin. Unfortunately for Derrick, it wasn't a physical kind of pain; it was a pain deep down in his soul. He entered into the tomb, though whether it was under his own power or the dragons, no one could tell.

**Due to the length of this chapter when originally written, it will actually be broken down into two parts, the second part is much shorter than the first part.**

**PS: Maahes is the Ancient Egyptian lion god of war, lotuses and consuming captives. He is seen as either the son of Sekhmet or of Bast, the cat goddess. His father is either a human, who was unaware of his partner's divine origins, or of Ra. He is depicted as a man with the head of a male lion. **


	18. Chapter 16: Into the Tomb Pt:2

Chapter 16: Into The Tomb: Pt 2

**I didn't really mention it before because it didn't really cross my mind until now...Oops lol. Age wise, Katrina is a little more than nineteen years old, while Kaiba is about eighteen and a half. So they're about seven months apart in age. Marik's about eighteen too, and Ishizu is twenty-two.**

Derrick confidently strode into the tomb, his long black robes brushing on the tomb's floor. He had been in tombs like this before. During a time between the Rare Hunters and this, he worked as a part time tomb robber, pilfering treasures for the black market; however, he was only here for one thing:

The Dagger.

He paused in the first room, waiting. The dragons gods pressured him to go on, but the timing wasn't right yet. He wanted to wait until they solved the riddles of the tomb complex. Then he would strike.

XXXXXXXXXX

The group cautiously entered the second chamber in single file. Aria had gone first. The chamber was an expansive room, but there was only one viable passage across, a narrow stone walkway that stretched over what appeared to be a bottomless pit. Black and purple tendrils of shadows roiled and churned below, like a beast coming to life. Marik recognized what the substance was.

"Be careful," he warned. "One misstep and you'll face a one way trip to the Shadow Realm."

"The 'Shadow Realm'?" Katrina squeaked.

"Nothing to worry about," Kaiba reassured her.

"It better."

Aria took one step onto the walkway, her treads light and wary. Kaiba followed, then Katrina. Ishizu, whose ankle was in a lot of pain, leaned heavily on her brother. It was dark, and cold in the room, creating goosebumps on any exposed skin.

"Alright," Aria began. "What is the next line to the prophecy?"

Ishizu recited it. "'Pray on your knees.'"

"That's rather obscure." Marik remarked.

"So was the last one," Seto reminded him.

Katrina felt her nerves stand on edge and an ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Everybody get down!" she shouted. They obeyed her, each of them dropping to their knees. Aria felt something whoosh over her head, her hair fluttering around her face.

"Okay, what on earth just happened?" Marik asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but stay down." Katrina replied. "And keep moving."

They remained low to the ground as they transverse the walkway. The whooshing continued, more often as they crossed. It then came to a stop, filling the room with silence. Aria tentatively brought her head up and tried to find the source. She gaped in shock.

It was a heavy pendulum blade, about six feet wide. It was mounted sideways on a 'U' shaped track, so that the blade would slice off anything over three feet tall, thus, the line' Pray on your knees'. The track allowed it to continue moving back and forth until it lost all momentum and came to a stop. The blade was resting in the middle of the 'U' track, at a complete stop.

"That, was a good call on your part Katrina," Aria said.

Katrina peeked up and saw the monstrosity too. "No kidding." Now free of the menace of the pendulum, they stood back up, Marik groaning something about kneeling too long.

Kaiba patted the dirt off his pants. "Okay, what's next? I'm starting to feel like I'm in some 'Indiana Jones' movie." In response, Katrina started humming the movie's theme.

"And now, the final chamber, the resting place of the Pharaoh Seth and his most valued possession, the Dagger of Anubis." Aria said.

XXXXXXXXXX

Derrick contemptuously kicked at one of the fallen bronze statues. They were already disabled when he walked in, so he had little to worry about. He was so close to the Dagger now, he could practically taste it, figuratively, of course.

The dragons could sense it too, for their urgings were must more powerful. Derrick was practically waging a full blown battle to keep them from taking control of his body. They clawed and writhed at his mental defenses, struggling to knock them down. He was struggling to keep them up. He fell to his knees, groaning as he sought to regain control again. The Eclipse was beginning to reach it peak. It wouldn't be long now.

Time for chaos to rule once more.

XXXXXXXXXX

From what Aria could tell, there were no more traps to prevent them from reaching the Dagger, and she deemed it safe for them to enter.

Like the first chamber, the thick limestone walls were adorned with vibrant art, untouched after five thousand years. Unlike the first chamber, which told of the Pharaoh's life, this one told of his journey to the afterlife, according to the Book of The Dead. A massive sarcophagus laid along the right side of the room, the gold and gem-studded outside gleaming with the light of their torches. But the sarcophagus, as beautiful as it was, wasn't their real treasure. They stared at awe for a few moments, then turned their attention to the center of the chamber. There was a dais in the direct center of the room, made of red stone and about four feet tall. And embedded in the center of the dais laid the real treasure. The Dagger of Anubis had been found.


	19. Chapter 17: Clash of The Gods

Chapter 17: Clash of the Gods

Derrick made his way across the walkway of the second chamber, ducking under the pendulum blade in the direct center. It was so easy now that the group in front had solved the riddles for him. He could sense the Eclipse becoming fuller and fuller, and the power inside him as well. It was to the point of excruciating pain and agony. He was losing control over his body and that truly frightened him. But it was to be all worth it in the end...

XXXXXXXXXX

The Dagger of Anubis was embedded in the stone shining in the torchlight in all of its divine glory. The lapis lazuli pommel reflected their faces back at them as they stared in awe. The weapon looked, well, normal. Marik was the first to break from the trance and he grasped the leather wrapped bronze hilt. He let out a cry of pain and jumped back form the Dagger,nursing his hand. He held it out, palm out, and found that the tanned skin was spotted in small burns, a couple of them with thin trails of smoke pouring from the wounds.

"I think that they didn't want us to pull it out," he groaned, flexing the injured hand gingerly and wincing as he did so.

"That would make sense. Seth must have placed a cantrip on the Dagger in order to keep people from stealing it. The longer you hold it, the more it burns you. Aria explained.

"That would have been nice to know beforehand," Marik grumbled. "What now?"

"We need to find the ones who can," Ishizu rationalized

"Which is?-"

"Simple," Aria answered, as if it were the easiest answer in the world. "According to the prophecy, the 'five thousand year lovers' are the only ones who can." She glanced pointedly at Katrina and Seto, both of which turned bright red at the realization of Aria's statement

"Who, us?" Seto asked incredulously.

"According to the prophecy, you are the 'five thousand year lovers'. Only you can pull it free." Aria said, chuckling as she saw Seto and Katrina turn beet red.

"What? Her and I? We aren't—we not-," Kaiba flustered, his face growing ever more red. Katrina jut bit her lip and looked down at the floor. Marik gave them a quick shove.

"Well, go on!" He exclaimed.

Kaiba stumbled a couple of steps, grabbing onto the hilt to retain his balance, and he flinched, fearing that the weapon would burn him like it did Marik. It didn't, much to his shock. He gave a cautious tug and was surprised when the Dagger loosened, but it didn't come out all the way. Katrina, seeing what Kaiba was planning, placed her hand on top of his. "It says together, remember? You can't do it by yourself."

Seto nodded. "On three. Three!" They yanked and the Dagger came free. Kaiba stood there, stunned, looking down at the Dagger in his hands. He could see his reflection in the silvery metal of the weapon, a reflection of a worn down man. Katrina looked over his shoulder.

"That's it?" she asked. "Wow, it's awfully pretty."

Aria watched the scene in awe. She had fulfilled her goddess's task. Now, the Dagger could be returned to Anubis and her life would be back to normal, well, as normal as being a high priestess to an ancient goddess could get. She felt something clamp on to her throat and she struggled to get free. It was a sleeper hold, a very tight one at that. Her vision went black and she fell to the ground, unconscious. Marik and Ishizu were next. A blow to the back of their heads did the job well, knocking them unconscious as well, with nary a peep from either of them. Derrick gave a malicious grin and he raised his handgun he carried in his robe. He pulled the trigger.

XXXXXXXXXX

A shot rang out and Kaiba clenched his arm suddenly, the Dagger dropping from his hands and landing next to him.

"Seto!" Katrina cried, kneeling down next to him. Something had hit Seto in the bicep; blood trickled from between his fingers.

"I'm fine," he said through a grimace. "I promise."

"Looks like we meet again," a man's voice chuckled and Derrick stepped from the shadows, gun still in his hand, the hammer cocked. "Now, hand me the Dagger or the next bullet goes through his brains," he raised the gun, the barrel pointed at Seto's forehead.

"Katrina don't!" Seto warned.

Katrina hesitated, knowing what the man was capable of; after all, he tortured her just so she could summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon. She remembered an old phrase she had once heard from an old movie she watched. 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few', it said. She picked up the Dagger, the hilt balancing in her hands. It was a beautiful weapon, with the perfect balance and the perfect edge.

Today though, that phrase couldn't be more true. She stepped forward, holding the Dagger. _"It's time to end this madness."_

"Katrina!" Seto yelled. "Don't do this!"

"Good girl," Derrick praised, but the voice was no longer his. Tiamat and Apophis had taken total control. As she continued to walk, she noticed the fallen bodies of Marik, Ishizu and Aria and she prayed that they were still alive. "Bring it here."

"Cool your jets, freak," she sniped. She made the gesture to place the Dagger into his open palm, but then did something completely unexpected. She struck him in the wrist with the weighty pommel. He yelped in surprise and he dropped his gun. Katrina kicked it aside and she hit him again, across his cheek. She felt bone crunch underneath the impact. Adrenaline was now in control, pumping through her body like overflowing rapids.

"You little-" Derrick snarled and he lunged for her and snatched her by the wrists. The two wrestled for control of the Dagger until Derrick kicked her in the knee, then kneed her in the ribs; Katrina could feel something in her side give way. He finished her off with a swift uppercut in the jaw, and she stumbled backwards, having difficulty with standing; her kneecap was severely damaged, maybe even shattered. Derrick managed to get the Dagger from her, crowing in triumph.

Katrina staggered back, limping from the injured knee. "I thought you weren't supposed to hit girls," she spat out a broken tooth and some blood. Her mom was going to have a field day about the broken tooth, especially after going through three years of braces to get her straight teeth.

"I normally don't, but for you, I'd make an exception." Derrick smiled in triumph. At last, after chasing, searching for it for so long, He now had the Dagger in his hands. He raised it up, then pointed the tip downward, at his chest cavity.

_"Wait, what are you doing?" _he panicked, realizing that he wasn't in control of his body. The gods were intending to kill him.

_ "We cannot be ressssstrained in the mortal sssshell. The Dagger isssss the only way we break free."_

Derrick realized the implications of the statement_. "But- but had a deal! You would be free and I would have power!"_

_ "Never make a deal with the godssss. You'll always come up sssshort in the end." _The Dagger came down, the blade piercing through the robes and into the soft tissue underneath, breaking his ribs, into his heart and lungs. Blood spurted out of the wound and he fell down, eyes wide and unseeing, staring off into the stone ceiling above him. Limp and lifeless hands still clenched onto the knife. The black robes were now soaked with his life fluids.

"NO!" Katrina ran to pull the Dagger out from Derrick's chest, despite her protesting knee, but she was blown back by a gust of wind. Two shadowy forms emerged from the corpse of Derrick Salazar, one of a serpent shape, another of a winged dragon. The forms gained thickness and dimensionality; no longer shadows, they were living, breathing gods, given life through the death of their lackey. Rubble crashed around her as they broke through the tomb's roof and Katrina could now see the darkened sky, the sun obscured by the Eclipse; the sky looked as if it were painted with blood and darkness, fitting for the occasion. "No!" She shielded her face from the dust and debris. "No!"

Tiamat, Babylonian goddess of destruction, and Apophis, Egyptian god of primordial chaos, had risen again.

_ "There is still hope," Kisara'a voice echoed. "Your power."_

_ "That can't stop a pair of gods." Katrina complained._

_ "You'll never know until you try."_

_ "Okay then, its worth a shot." _The Blue Eyes broke free from its restraints and flew to confront Tiamat, the winged goddess, Katrina mentally controlling every move the dragon made.

Meanwhile, Seto watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. Two gods had emerged from the corpse of Katrina's kidnapper and she was now fighting the pair alone. He knew it would be a matter of time until Katrina's strength would be exhausted. Then she would be at their mercy.

"_Get up," _a voice commanded and Seto found himself confronted by a man with the head of a black furred jackal._ "I do not expect my high priest to be sitting here while the woman she loves fights his battle. Get up you coward."_

_ "I don't need your lectures," _Kaiba snarled, struggling to get up, still holding his wounded bicep._ "Who are you anyway?"_

_ "I am Anubis, the lord of the Dead, the master of cycles. And currently, wanting to get my Dagger back."_

_ "In case you can't tell it's in the corpse of a man over there."_

_ "I can't get it. I am a manifestation in your head, a spirit shall we say. I have no corporeal body at the moment, so I can't get it. You have to."_

_ "Great, I'm imaging things."_

_ "Don't toy with me mortal. The world is at stake here. Trust me, it's the only way." _the vision of Anubis faded, leaving Kaiba alone and unsure how he stood up. The pain in his arm was gone too. He looked down to find the wound healed, as if it wasn't even there in the first place.

He got over his shock quickly. "Now, how do I stop these things?" he wondered, then had an idea. If the Dagger was needed to summon the gods, then it would be needed to send them back where they came form. He made a beeline for the Dagger, still embedded in Derrick's corpse. He pulled out his Duel Deck from his pocket as well. He didn't know why he did, but he sensed that they would be needed.

Apophis was curled protectively around Derrick's corpse, the long thick coils surrounding it. The black eyes of the serpent glared maliciously as he hissed out a challenge. _"You think you can challenge me, Ssseto Kaiba?" _The Serpent god lunged at him, as a rattlesnake would do when biting its prey. Kaiba rolled away from the fanged maw. Apophis roared in frustration and slithered towards him at an unnatural speed. Seto reached into his pocket, grabbing two cards from his Duel Deck. He brought it everywhere with him, here being no exception. Why he was doing so, he didn't know. He remembered the Memory world and somehow made the connection here. It was worth a shot anyway. "_I must be crazy doing this, but here it goes." _

"Go! 'Vorse Raider' and 'Kaiser Seahorse'! Attack Apophis directly!" Much to his surprise, the two monsters appeared above him and headed towards Apophis's face, their weapons aimed at his black cold eyes. Apophis hissed and attacked the two monsters, obliterating 'Vorse Raider' in one hit, clamping the monster between its serrated, curved teeth.. It was having some difficulty with 'Kaiser Seahorse' though, the light attribute monster nimbly dodging Apophis's fangs. Kaiba felt a drop in strength as 'Vorse Raider' was destroyed, but he ignored the sensation and continued to run for the Dagger. His Duel Monsters were the distraction he needed. Skillfully avoiding Apophis's thick tail, he snatched the Dagger up, Derrick's blood dripping from the silver metal. He dodged the coils again and swung down, the Dagger piercing the thick, storm gray scales. Apophis screamed, a high pitched screech that sent Seto to his knees, holding his ears.

Kaiba's prediction had come true; the Dagger could kill the fiends. He watched with a morbid fascination as Apophis slowly dissolved into shadows, starting from where he stabbed the Dagger. Apophis wailed in despair as he became one with the shadows once more.

"One god down, one more to go." He looked up where Katrina/Blue Eyes and Tiamat were waging war. "Now how to get up there."

Up in the darkened skies, Tiamat and Katrina/ Blue Eyes White Dragon wheeled and soared around each other, bolts of white lightning and black fire filling the sky, neither of them gaining the upper-hand. Katrina/blue Eyes was too small and nimble to be hit while Tiamat was too large to feel any of the Blue Eyes's hits. Katrina's body was still on the ground in the chamber, her eyes closed, her mind totally in control of her Blue Eyes. However, her strength was draining rapidly and she was coming closer and closer to being lost forever; Kaiba had to end the battle soon.

"Katrina!" He said to her body. "I have an idea, bring the Blue Eyes down so I can ride it, er, you."

He wasn't sure if she heard him or not, but the Dragon zoomed down from the skies, wings tucked in to gain momentum and speed. To keep Tiamat from following, Seto summoned 'Different Dimension Dragon' and 'Spearhead Dragon' to keep the goddess at bay. The Blue Eyes backwinged gracefully and it/she (he couldn't tell anymore which was which) bent their neck so he could mount.

_"Well," she snorted in his head. "Are you just going to sit there or what?"_ Somehow Katrina transferred her consciousness to her monster. The Blue Eye's eyes glinted mischievously. Seto mounted the dragon, his legs tucked tightly around her (he could now tell the difference) neck. Katrina/ Blue Eyes White Dragon then launched into the air, back into the fray with Tiamat. Katrina/ Blue Eyes roared their defiance to the goddess and Tiamat snarled back, her voice like the depths of shadows, a sound that echoed in their heads too.

Kaiba gasped as the goddess destroyed both of his dragons with a jet of her black fire and Seto was reminded of one of his dreams again, the one in which Katrina nearly died. The dragon veered suddenly to the left as the fire seared under her belly. She bellowed in pain and Seto wondered if Katrina's body could feel the pain as well. He suspected that she could.

"Bring me closer!" he yelled, before his words were whipped away by the wind.

"_Are you on crack! You have got to be suicidal!"_

Anubis's words echoed in his head._ "It's the only way," _he said to her_._

_"Well, you're going to need a distraction then. What on earth are you planning to do?"_

"You'll see." Kaiba began to stand up on Katrina/Blue Eyes's neck, his balance extremely precarious.

Katrina realized what he was going to do._ "Oh no, you are not doing that,"_ she warned. _"I'm not going to lose you because of it!"_

"Trust me! Just bring me closer!"

The dragon dived down at Tiamat's face and she backwinged in surprise at the sudden move, flames flickering around her jaws. Blue Eyes White Dragon/ Katrina released a blast of White Lightning at Tiamat's face. The brightness of the attack blinded Tiamat temporarily and the dragon seized the opportunity. She wheeled around to her side, banking sharply, giving Seto his chance. He regained his balance and then jumped, landing on Tiamat's limbs, clinging on to her scales for dear life. Tiamat, now regaining her sight, shock her head, trying to get her bearings. As she felt Kaiba scrabbling up her side, she tried to shake him off. Katrina/the dragon screamed and rushed at Tiamat's face, claws bared, teeth flashing, preventing the goddess from flinging the CEO off. The two dragons began to claw and bite at each other, circling like wary hawks and then rushing at each other for a few heart-stopping moments at a time. In the corner of his eye, Seto could see bright red blood dripping from fresh wounds up and down the Blue Eyes's body as she made another charge. She smacked Tiamat in the face with her thick tail; however, the goddess clamped sown on Katrina's tail and she cried out in pain and the jagged teeth sunk into the flesh, white scales flying everywhere.

Seto began to make the climb up Tiamat's leg, his progress slow, the Dagger's hilt clenched in his teeth, like he were some kind of pirate from an old movie. He used the scales on Tiamat's arm as handhold, like on a rock climbing course. He finally made it to her back, after a few close calls with gravity. He plunged the Dagger into Tiamat's spine. Black blood spurted from the wound and Seto shielded his face. The acidic blood splattered on his coat and it sizzled away holes in the mostly white fabric.

Tiamat spasmed for a moment, her nervous system no longer functioning properly and she let out an ear piercing shriek, forcing Kaiba to cover his ears, lest his eardrums shatter from the sound. She began to dissolve into shadows like Apophis and Kaiba found his perch to be less and less solid. He finally began to fall, Tiamat now nearly totally dissolved, he screeches dying away as she did.

_"So this is how I'm going to die then," _he mused as he felt himself falling._ "After helping to save the world numerous times, I actually have to do it by myself for once. And the one time I do, I'm going to die."_

_ "Not if I can help it!" _Katrina dove underneath him, catching him so that he laid crossways across her neck, and he slid into a more secure position, like he were a limp sack of grain. His ribs screamed out in protest as he landed heavily; he night have broken one or two of them when he landed. He gasped in pain. The Dagger was still tightly held in his hand. Despite it being liberally covered from Tiamat's blood, it had no damage from the vitriolic liquid.

_ "Sorry Seto," _Katrina apologized as the pair landed. Kaiba staggered off her, breathing heavily, clutching his sides. Even if he lived to be a hundred, never doing a stunt like that would be too soon for him. Everry part of him hurt, but he was nothing compared to Katrina's weight. He watched in horror as the Blue Eyes White Dragon let out a strangled cry as the wounds he saw on the dragon now appear on Katrina's body. The burn, the cuts and slashes, everything. There was a rumble and the tomb started to collapse, the strain of the already damaged complex too much for the heavy rock . Kaiba staggered over and attempted to pick Katrina up, but collapsed when he tried, he was utterly spent. Plus, there was Marik, Ishizu and Aria to consider; he would have never gotten them out as well. His vision began to fade to black and his head was swimming. As he started to faint, he swore he saw a jackal head appear in his vision, but he took it as an hallucination when he blacked out, his last thoughts on Katrina's wellbeing.

The tomb collapsed with a roar, but if one were to look closer at the clouds of dust and debris one could make out three silhouettes, one of Anubis, who was carrying Seto and Katrina; Sekhmet, who was bearing Aria, her priestess, and her son Maahes, who bore Ishizu and Marik.

As they laid them down, away from the carnage. Anubis gently tugged the Dagger out of Kaiba's grip and place it back in its sheath, where the Dagger rightfully belonged. The three gods watched as the Eclipse started to recede, signaling their triumph over the forces of chaos. Anubis looked down at Seto and Katrina.

"Well, they did it," he stated, breaking the silence. "Tiamat and Apophis have been vanquished and the balance between our world and theirs has been restored." Sekhmet agreed.

Maahes glanced around at the corpses of his mother's followers. "But what about your followers, mother?"

She looked over at her son, her feline eyes saddened at the sight; so many of them died to protect this one item and their leader. She wondered how she would break the news to Aria "Well my child, like all cycles, there must be an end, and a beginning."

"Just like with them," Anubis interrupted, glancing fondly at Seto and Katrina. "They are the beginning of something new. But they can't start something new if they're dead." He scooped the pair up in his muscular, tan arms. "Where is the nearest hospital?"

**Those of you who can guess where that phrase(the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few) came from, I will reward a cyber cookie and a one-shot of their choice in this fandom (no yaoi or yuri though, sorry). I'll give you guys a hint: it's from an old movie and a reboot of the series was given an Academy Award for...well, I'm not going to tell you guys that, that would give it away lol. **


	20. Chapter 18: Homecoming

Chapter 18: Homecoming

The hospital was ghostly quiet, the nurses and doctors all on graveyard shift. They busied themselves taking care of other patients, but after a couple of hours, many of them idled, just waiting for something to happen. Few of the patients were awake, many were sleeping, resting and recovering from their illnesses. However, that didn't mean that their visitors were asleep.

Seto Kaiba sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair, watching over Katrina, who was still recovering from her injuries. Nothing was permanently damaged, but he had a feeling that she would suffer from nightmares for a while, he and her both. Aria was the first to be released from the hospital, after three mysterious guests brought them in to the emergency room. She was only rendered unconscious from a sleeper hold she had received. She fled the hospital immediately afterward, probably to mourn the lost of her companions. Ishizu and Marik, who had suffered mild concussions, were kept overnight for observation. Seto gave a wan smile as he remembered how Marik was incessantly complaining about staying in a hospital.

Seto was mildly injured as well, suffering from a few bone bruises and a cracked rib or two, but it was mostly just some abrasions and cuts. Katrina was the worst of them all; cuts and slash marks covered her body and her right side of her torso was almost completely covered with second degree burns. On top of that, she still wasn't awake yet, and it had been two days since she came to the hospital. The doctors were baffled. All of her vital signs were normal, as was her brain activity, so she wasn't comatose; one doctor claimed it was 'Sleeping Beauty Syndrome'*, reciting a medical article that had been published shortly after Battle City.

He brushed a strand of hair that had fallen into Katrina's face and wondered if there would ever be a reprieve for the two of them. In a way, it felt like conspiring forces were determined to keep them apart. He shook his head, trying to dispel such negative thoughts. But he couldn't help it, so much had happened; he wondered if it would be worth it in the end.

He sensed the presence of someone else in the room and he looked around the private hospital room. His blue eyes fell upon someone he hadn't seen before, yet he had the nagging feeling he had at one point or another. He stranger was tall, about six foot seven, with broad muscles and a dark skin tone. He wore a pleated white cotton kilt with bounded leather sandals. A black cloak covered most of his body, with a voluminous hood obscuring his facial features. Amber eyes glinted in the depths of his hood, those eyes looked so disconcertingly familiar, but where were they from? "Seto Kaiba," the stranger spoke, the voice rich and deep.

"That's me, what do you want?" Kaiba snapped; he was tired, having gotten very little sleep since Katrina was admitted. He spent nearly every possible watching over her, anticipating when she would wake up.

"Is that any way to treat the man who saved your skin?" the man asked.

"I don't have time for you games, whoever you are."

The man went to Katrina's bedside, his hands resting on the edge. Seto noted a golden ring studded with a red gem, carved into the ankh. The ring looked familiar too. "Of course you don't. You're waiting for her to wake up. Your dragon, your protector. That's what, three times she saved you life now?"

"What do you know about the dragon?"

"I know that she is the vessel for the Blue Eyes White Dragon and her past self was the lover and protector of your past self, Seto, or can I call you Seth?"

Kaiba grabbed the man's hand, ignoring the gem that was digging into his flesh. "Who are you? You look so familiar... wait. You're the one man from a couple of nights ago!" he hissed.

The man swatted off Kaiba's hand. " Yes, I am and do not touch me mortal, especially not like that." He reached up and pulled the cowl of the hood down, revealing his face, one of a jackal's, with fur as black as ebony. "I am Anubis, god of the Dead, master of cycles. You brought my Dagger back for me, if you still remember properly. You did take quite a beating from the battle." Anubis shifted his cloak to reveal his Dagger, strapped to his side. He made a gesture towards Katrina's face, the callused hands softly brushing her skin.

"Don't touch her," Seto growled, his body partways over hers, as if to protect her.

"I'm here to pay my respects," Anubis snarled, exposing sharp canines. "She did just help save the world."

"You're the god of the Dead. You're here to take her soul."

"Don't jump to conclusions. I may be the god of the Dead, but I use my powers wisely, unlike Hades, who had to have been the most trigger happy god of the Underworld I have known, if you know what I mean. He would send people down there left and right. It didn't help that his brother encouraged him either." Anubis snorted.

"Then what are you here for then?"

"Like I said, to pay my respects." Anubis's hands moved so that they were just hovering over her face. He began to chant softly, his hands glowing in faint shade of silver. An electric charge filled the room. His hands then started to progress down her body, never touching, still reciting his incantation all the while. Kaiba watched in amazement as Katrina's wounds began to heal, the skin muscles, ligaments, and tendons knitting themselves together, new skin replacing the damaged burnt skin. Faint scars remained, the only psychical evidence of an otherworldly encounter. He finally finished, his hands moving away from her feet and fading to the ordinary dark brown skin tone. The electric feeling went away as Anubis's words ended. "I made be the god of Death, but I am the god of rebirth, bringing life back to where there was none. My fur is the color of the fertile soil of the Nile, black as night, yet full of life. The ruler over death and rebirth, life and death. I am the master of cycles."

Kaiba's jaw nearly dropped in amazement. "What are you?"

"Haven't we already discussed this? I'm a-"

"That's not what I meant. What _are _you? If you're actually a god, then that means that religions like Christianity are now moot."

Anubis gave a secret smile. "I'll let you in on a little secret. You see, I'm not exactly a 'god'. I am only an aspect of a higher being. Ever wonder why so many of the Egyptian gods share many of the same qualities? We are all parts of a whole, a 'higher being'. We're seen as gods yes, but that doesn't mean that we are."

"What about the Egyptian god cards then? Are they 'aspects' too? And how was I able to summon my Duel Monsters without my Duel deck?"

Anubis winked. " One at a time boy. You were able to summon your monsters without a 'Dueldisk' was due to the fact that the area had essentially become a Shadow Game. That was how Tiamat and Apophis was able to be in our world as well. The creation of the shadow Game allowed them and your monsters to stay anchored to your world. But I can't give all our secrets away now. I can, however, give you the answers you seek and so much more." Anubis extended a hand to Seto. "You see, your past self was once a high priest of mine, a very powerful one. Like Sekhmet, may of the gods have modern day priests and followers, as you saw with Derrick. I am in need of a priest, now with my Dagger back, I can now rule over what I had lost. Will you, Seto Kaiba, take the offer and become the high priest of Anubis, like you past did five thousand years ago?"

Seto shook his head. "Thanks but no thanks. If I want answers, I'll get them myself. Same thing applies for the other things you'd probably be offering me. I don't need to become a follower of a 'god', let alone a 'high priest'."

Anubis chuckled and then let out a bark of laughter. "I like your spirit. Shame that you refuse though, you have so much potential." Anubis put the hood back over his face and turned to leave. "But remember, my offer always stands. If you ever change you mind, let me know."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that I will change it."

Anubis muttered under his breath. "I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you." he was gone, as silently as he came in. Even though he was watching, Kaiba swore he saw Anubis vanish into thin air.

Katrina stirred and opened her eyes. "What's with all the ruckus?" she moaned, stretching.

"Katrina?"

"Would it be anybody else?"

Kaiba suddenly held her in a tight hug. "You're okay," he said in disbelief. "You're okay."

The two embraced and talked until the faintest traces of morning started to show in her hospital window, colors of the sunrise painting the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The hospital's doctors were amazed by the results when they came in to check on her the next morning. They had no explanation for how her injuries could have healed so quickly. One nurse even deemed it a 'miracle' and planned to call the Catholic Church about said 'miracle'. As Seto heard that he smirked; how ironic that this so called 'miracle' was actually caused by a 'god of a polytheistic religion, and a god of 'Death' for that manner. With nothing seriously wrong now, the doctors released Katrina that day, still scratching their heads in bewilderment.

Katrina seemed to be having a difficult time after the battle. She often woke up in the middle of the night, screaming about the battle, how it played over and over in her mind. There were nights where Seto would stay up with her, holding her until her cries subsided and she found herself back in reality. She immersed herself in her art, furiously working on one project or another. There was one project of hers that she worked on in secret, when she was alone, with no one in the vicinity. When Seto asked about the project, after stealing a glance of it, Katrina squirreled it away and claimed it was a surprise.

Seto spent every possible moment with her, knowing that in February, she would be leaving, back to her home in the United States. If he had the power, he would stop time, to prevent that day from coming. Unfortunately, he didn't and February rolled around, much to his distress.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"My gosh, I never should have packed this much stuff!" Katrina bemoaned as she dragged her suitcase across the floor of Cairo International Airport. "I swear these thing doubled in size or something."

Marik shrugged, his duffel bag over one shoulder. "It'll do that for you." He, Ishizu and Seto Kaiba were also heading back to Domino City. Seto had bought the tickets for them; Marik wondered if it had anything to do with Katrina's influence.

"Maybe I'll just stop traveling abroad," Katrina plopped the heavy suitcase onto a shelf, where it was checked by a worker. He tossed the luggage onto a conveyer belt, with the rest of her luggage; she had three very large, very heavy pieces, not including her art supplies, which alone would have taken up another suitcase and a half; she had sent her supplies ahead of her, before she left. She had almost gone insane with the lack of things to due artwise.

The others placed their bags as well, better to get it done now, considering that their flight times were a half-hour apart; Katrina's plane was to take off first.

They all stood there awkwardly, none of them really wanting to say goodbye first. They had been through so much, making the four rather close. Seto wouldn't admit it, but he had gained a new-found respect for Ishizu and her brother Marik.

Katrina spoke up first, albeit reluctantly. "Well, since my flight take off first, I guess I should be going then, I guess."

Marik gave her a hug, like a pair of siblings would. "Well, I think that has to be the most exciting trip to Egypt I've ever had. I had a lot of fun Kat."

"I did too, even though we had to save the world from a pair of gods. Wait, I thought you used to live in Egypt."

"Exactly. It was very boring. I lived in the middle of nowhere."

Ishizu gave her a quick hug as well. "We'll miss you. Call or write to us sometime."

"Remember, you got my e-mail address," Marik interrupted.

"Marik! I was talking!"

"Sorry sis."

"Anyway, I hope that you'll be able to visit us in Domino soon. Our apartment's open if you need a place to stay."

"Thanks Ishizu." Katrina turned to Seto, biting her lip. The two were silent, Neither one wanting to say the words that needed to be said.

"I think we need to give then their privacy," Ishizu ushered Marik away, giving the couple a private moment.

"I, I guess this is it huh?" Katrina began.

"Yeah," for the first time in his life, Kaiba had nothing really important to say, no come backs, no snide remarks, nothing.

Katrina shuffled the ground with her foot, hesitant. Then, she pulled out a box from her large purse and thrust it at him, not looking at him, so he wouldn't see the tears. "Here. It's for you."

Kaiba turned the box in his hands. It was white, about eight inches tall and six inches wide. He started to open it, flipping the lid up. "Wait," Katrina put her hand on his. "Wait 'til you get on the plane, okay?"

"Um sure."

"Oh for the love of Ra, will you two just kiss already?"

"Marik!"

"What? I just had to say it Ishizu!"

The couple turned bright red. Katrina gave a wan smile and a weak chuckle. "I guess we better oblige him before he bugs you the rest of the way ho-Mmphf!" Seto had pulled her in for a hard kiss, as if it were to be his last sense of feeling on earth. Katrina's knees went weak and she held onto the collar of his jacket, returning it with as much passion as he. She pulled away shortly after, knowing that anymore, and she would never want to leave him. She gave him a second peck on the cheek and whispered, "Goodbye." she quickly hurried away, trying very hard to prevent the tears from falling. She failed, tragically.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Seto sat in the plane seat, staring at the box. He had a few moments before the plane would take off, heading back towards Domino City and the rest of his life. And yet, he felt like part of his being was gone, lost forever. He frowned at the box, as if it were to blame. In a sense it was, for it reminded him of her. Ishizu and Marik were a couple of seats in front of him, leaving him alone in the row of the first-class section of the commercial airliner. He hesitantly opened the box, making sure that n one saw him do so. This was to be private.

There was a bunch of tissue paper wedged into the box and he pulled it out, leaving it scattered on his lap. Obviously it had to be of some value, otherwise it wouldn't have been so secure. He reached his hand in and pulled the item out. His eyes widened with pleasant surprise as he beheld the item.

Resting in the palm of his hand was a sculpture of a Blue Eyes White Dragon, its wings outstretched and in mid-leap, readying to soar into the skies. He then realized that this was what Katrina had been working on in secret, the 'surprise'. He marveled at the intricacy and quality of the gift. It was extremely detailed, even down to the near exact shade of blue of its eyes and the shimmer of its white scales, to the miniature claws and other minute details. She had signed and dated it too, on the bottom of the base where it was mounted on. He found a piece at the bottom of the box. Balancing the dragon on his lap, he unfolded the paper and read the note that was scrawled on it. The writing was a little messy, but he could read it with little trouble.

_ Seto,_

_ While I may not be there with you physically, I can at least be with you in spirit, the Blue Eyes._

_ Love,_

_ Katrina._

He felt a lump form in his throat and he wondered if he would ever if he be the same again.

**DON'T PANIC! This isn't the last chapter! (Do you honestly think I would leave you hanging? I ****think not)**

***Interesting story about the fictitious 'Sleeping Beauty Syndrome'. I had made it up after watching the Battle City arc. After watching how the doctors reacted to the Shadow Games in season two and three, I started wondering how the doctors would logically explain how four people, Mai, Odion, Bakura, and Joey could fall into the states they were in. They weren't comatose, so one could imagine how the doctors on board would try to explain it. Thus, the medical explanation for the Shadow Games—the 'Sleeping Beauty Syndrome'-was born. This theory could also be applied to those lost to the Orichalcos as well.**

**Also, in mythology, Anubis was also the god of rebirth and resurrection, a facet very rarely brought up. His fur, always black, represented the soil of the Nile when it flooded, which was also black. When the Nile flooded, it brought with it that soil, full of nutrients and minerals, it allowed new crops to grow, hence, the god of rebirth. Because of this, one can see Anubis as the god of both death and rebirth, and therefore, the god of cycles.**


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue

**For those who were wondering, I meant to say 'polytheistic', instead of 'monotheistic'. That error has been fixed and thank you for pointing it out XD**

Thin moonbeams filtered through the window blinds as Seto Kaiba tossed and turned in his bed. He had been trying to sleep for a few hours now, but sleep was elusive, and he slowly sat upright in his bed, giving up on trying to get some rest. He flung the hot covers off and went to his desk. Maybe he could get some work done, at least until he felt his eyelids getting heavy. He flipped open his laptop and started to type.

He didn't get as much done as he liked while he was Egypt, mostly because he was running around, saving the world from potential ruin. He smirked to himself with that thought; if only Yugi knew about his little escapade, how he, Seto Kaiba saved the world, without any of those lame speeches launched at his every five minutes.

His cobalt eyes went to a certain item on his desk as he typed and he paused, his long fingers reaching out to caress the object, the smooth texture of the polymer clay soothing under his hands . The Blue Eyes sculpture now had a special home, next to a photograph of him and Mokuba when they were children, alongside a doodle of the dragon from Mokuba, and Katrina's note. He frown as she loomed in his thoughts, again. She was always there, even the littlest thing would send him careening down that road.

_"I wonder how she's doing," _he thought as he typed away, the artificial lights from the computer casting his face of harsh highlights and shadows. _"Hopefully the dreams aren't bothering her." _After they had returned from the tomb, she suffered from nightmares, dreams that would cause her to jolt upright, screaming and crying, her hands an iron grip on the sheets. Some nights, he would sit by her bed, waiting, and trying to comfort her, not that he would admit it out loud. He had nightmares too, but he had Mokuba to talk to, and eventually,the nightmares faded, replaced by ones of longing, longing for her.

He closed the laptop, no longer able to concentrate properly. "What have you done to me, Katrina?" he whispered, hie hands running through his hair. He had initially blamed his attraction to her on hormones; after all he was a teenager, on the precipice of being an adult. But as the time passed and she was now thousands of miles away from her he started to consider if it was something more, something more profound.

A line from the prophecy popped in his head and he started to ponder the significance of said line. "Maybe it was right, maybe everything had been right all along, and I was just to naïve to realize it." The confession had brought him to a new realization. Just as the line said, he and her were always meant to be. Just like the priest and the girl from the memory world. The only problem was, they were separated by the Pacific ocean.

"If I can't always go to her, maybe she can come to me." He flipped open the computer once more and he began to furiously type away, the seeds of an idea sprouting in his mind. After about a half hour or so, he smiled triumphantly, and he shut the computer off. He glanced at an alarm clock. It was only 3:00 in the morning, making it nine, almost ten in the morning where she lived. He would have to wait a few more hours. But he was Seto Kaiba, and he was used to waiting, somewhat.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mokuba looked over at his clock. It was about eleven in the morning. Thankfully it was a Saturday, so he didn't have to worry about missing school. He stretched and slowly plodded down the hallway, the smell of bacon and scrambled eggs calling to him.

"Good morning Mokuba," the cook cheerfully called, busy cooking breakfast. Mokuba's mouth started to water at the smell.

"Morning," Mokuba looked around. Something seemed off. Normally, Seto would be working at this time, either reading the paper, or typing on his ever faithful laptop, often drinking some coffee after a morning jog. There was no sign of him. "Have you seen Seto?"

"No I haven't, but that reminds me, your brother left this note for you." The cook plucked off a post-it note off of a cupboard and handed it to Mokuba.

_Mokuba,_

_ Off on a few errands, will try to be back as soon as I can._

_ Seto_

_PS: Just because I'm gone does not give you a free rein on the sweets in the pantry._

_ "_Seto never goes on 'errands'," Mokuba mused.

"Yes, it is very unusual," the cook admited. "His personal jet is gone too. It makes you wonder what type of 'errand' he's running."

"Hopefully nothing too bad," Mokuba wished. His brother had been acting somewhat strange lately, mostly along the lines of being less rude and snide. He even avoided insulting Joey a time or two. Mokuba hoped his brother wasn't coming down with something.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's official, I hate online classes," Katrina complained, glaring at her laptop while she sprawled across her bed, limbs akimbo; that was the nice thing about online classes, she could take them at home. But there were some downsides to online classes; a lot of the time, one doesn't get the classes they wanted. "Especially stupid essays about a piece of art, nonetheless. I never should have taken that class. I'll never listen to my adviser again." she fumed, hands idly tapping her keyboard while she tried to think of something to type about. She had gotten back a couple of weeks ago, and her semester had already started. Because of the way the trip had overlapped into the next semester, she had opted to take online classes, that way she didn't end up behind.

"And speaking of trips," she muttered, eyes glancing down to the thin faint scar on her collarbone. "I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last saw them. I wonder how they're doing." She sighed wistfully again, thoughts going to a certain CEO. "I wonder if I'll ever see him again" She shook her head furiously, as if the sudden motions would get the thoughts out of her head. "Huh, listen to me. I sound like one of those cheesy soap opera actresses. I sound really pathetic." But she couldn't help it.

She missed him dearly, more than any other friend. It was her first real taste of a deep relationship, and it was gone, just like that. She knew their parting was inevitable but it didn't mean that it would be any less painful. Both her mom and best friend Erin felt bad for her, but in the end, those certain words spilled from their mouths: "Hun, you should get over him. I much as I hate to say it, you won't be seeing him again." Katrina sighed, any chance of working on that accursed essay was gone, Seto Kaiba dominating her thoughts.

But how could she get over him? Underneath that cold exterior, he cared for her, maybe even loved her, but that last part was just a stretch of her imagination. How could her mom and friends understand what she had been through with him? They only assumed it was nothing more than a fling, but it was so much more. According to that priestess and that prophecy, they were the 'five thousand year lovers', meant to be, but now he was thousands of miles away, probably working on some project or another, probably forgetting about her as she spoke. She still suffered from the nightmares, waking up with tears in her eyes. They had lessened somewhat in severity, but there were nights when she would look around the room, half expecting Seto Kaiba, or even Marik or Ishizu to be there.

There was a knock at her door and her Akita/Husky mix Ciara going ballistic at the door the level above her room. "Oh phenomenal," she groaned, looking down at her garments. She was dressed in a airy black tank top paired with some velour sweatpants, along with a pair of bright green fuzzy socks, her pajamas essentially. When she was at home, she dressed casually, sometimes spending the whole day in her pajamas. "Let's just pray it isn't a man at the door, or worse, that one creepy delivery guy." She ran up the stairs up to the main room taking them two at a time. The knocking began again, evidently the person was impatient."I'm coming!" she yelled. "Cool it Ciara!"

She took a peek out of one of the front room windows. She couldn't tell much from the stranger, only that he was as skinny as a bean pole. An expensive looking SUV was parked along the curb. "Must be a rental, or very, very rich. I'm guessing they're lost." She went to the door and opened it a peek, then flung it wide, her jaw just about literally dropping to the floor. Her dog started to bark even louder, but she was unaware of

There, standing in her doorway, in all of his CEO glory, was Seto Kaiba.

Of course, since it was Katrina, the first words out of her mouth were: "What the heck are you doing here of all places. And how on God's green earth did you find me?", not exactly mushy and romantic.

"You seem to have forgotten that I'm skilled with computers. You college needs a batter firewall. Did you know that there are three other girls that go to your college with the same name?"

Katrina smacked her forehead with an open palm. "Ah, yes, the Neo wannabe. I bet they based that character off of you. You do look a little like him, by the way. But at least you have some semblance of emotion."

"Still as as witty with the commentary I see," Seto smirked

"As the pot calls the kettle black." Katrina leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. "So what brings you out here?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Did you know that Domino is home to a prestigious university?"

"Yeah. Marik brought it up once or twice. He's going there in the fall."

"They also have an Art program, as well as an Ancient History one."

"Your point being?-" His question hit her like a ton of bricks. "You want me to go to the University? In Domino? With you?" Her voice had gone up nearly an octave by this point

"Took you long enough to figure it out."

"You're, you're kidding, right?"

"I don't kid."

_"Figures. It's Seto Kaiba. Always to the point." _her heart pounded a million miles an hour and a small corner of her mind wondered if he could hear the rapid beating; for that matter, the people within a five block radius. "But how will I pay for it? Where will I stay?"

"I'll pay for everything, plus give you room and board."

"Seto, I-"

Kaiba crossed the threshold and cupped her face in his hands. "I want you to stay with me. I guess you could say that I've missed you, a lot. I don't know what it is, or how to explain it, but with you gone, it's like a part of me is missing. I want you to come back to Domino. I'll pay for your college and everything else you need. Just say yes."

Katrina turned away from him. "I'd love to, but what about my family, my friends? I want to go with you so bad but I, don't want them to think I ran off to be with some guy. You're asking me to leave everything here behind."

"What if I asked your parents?"

"You're kidding me, right? What will you tell them?"

"That I'm willing to pay for your education, including room and board, books, living expenses and anything else. The overseas experience will be good for you, plus it'll look good on any job application."

"Well, I guess you could ask them, but it might not go well with my dad though. He's the type that's willing to sit on the front porch with a shotgun across his lap."

Kaiba kissed her on the lips. "I'm pretty sure I can handle a guy with a shotgun. That's why I have bodyguards."

Katrina rolled her eyes and leaned against him, inhaling his cologne. "Then I'll never leave here," she teased. "And who knew that you had a mushy side and you were pining away for little ole' me?"

"Tell anyone about my so called 'mushy side' and I'll-"

"You'll what Seto?"

"I'll find some sort of punishment tailored specifically for you."

"Kinky."

Kaiba, realizing what she just meant, blushed a deep, deep red. Katrina grabbed his hand to bring him inside. "Well, you aren't just going to sit outside here all day waiting for my parents. People will think you're some kind of creepy stalker."

XXXXXXXXXX

Three weeks later, Katrina found herself boarding a plane to Domino City, where she was going to finish out her education at Domino University. Seto had managed to convince her parents to let her go, much to her father's heartbreak. For the next two years, she completed her education, graduating in the top ten percent of her class with her double majors. During this time, she stayed with Seto Kaiba, occasionally becoming embroiled with his and Yugi Moto's adventures, saving the world every now and then, her, all the while strengthening her skills with her Blue Eyes. She gradually accepted the Dragon spirit as part of her lfe, and she eventually got over her fear of it .

Shortly after graduating, she became a teacher at a local school, teaching Art and the occasional English class to her mostly Japanese students, gaining a duel citizenship for both the United States and Japan. Another two years later, she dropped her last name of Dawson and became known as Katrina Kaiba. Seto's brother was ecstatic about the whole thing. Marik ironically ended up catching the bouquet at the wedding reception, much to his chagrin and the Kaiba's amusement. Seto never let up teasing about the whole thing, even years after the incident.

_And their love will always be eternal, never breaking, ever lasting._

_ Seth and Kisara._

_ Seto and Katrina._

_ Their devotion and love for each other is a cycle on the eternal Wheel of Time, lasting for five thousand years into the present, and for another five thousand years more and beyond. For even when time stops and the world as people know it ends, and the Wheel of Time is broken- _

_ -Their love never will._

**Lord, I am a sucker for happy endings...DON'T PHASE ME BRO! (yes, I meant to say phase XD) . And hopefully Seto didn't seem too OOC. Who knew that the ice man had a heart after all? **

** And there you have it, the 'Dagger of Anubis'. Now, while this thing isn't meant to really have a sequel, there are some unwoven threads in there, like with Anubis and Seto, as well as the mention of more adventures with Katrina and the gang, just in case the right plot bunny comes along XD. I hope it does.**

** I wanted to give a HUGE thank you to all of those who have read and reviewed, Favorited, put on Story Alert, etc.. Your support and criticism (The good kind and you know who you are lol)was IMMENSLY appreciated and loved XD. I just can't thank you guys enough, wait, I can do it one more time...**

** ….THANK YOU!**

**~Peace, and may your dreams always be guided by dragon wings,**

** Gweniveve Skyes**


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